Things Don't Always Go As Planned
by Doc95
Summary: Your favorite characters from No One Said It Would Be Easy, It Must Run in the Family, and Live a Little are back in the last installment of my series. And, they're all grown up! What new and exciting adventures await them? Read and find out! Full Summary inside! I couldn't get it all in this little amount of space! Read on!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome! Welcome to the final installment of my "Sequel to The Hunger Games" series. Summary: Your favorite characters are back and they're all grown up! New adventures, so exciting, others heartbreaking, are install for our characters. What exactly happened to the rest of the world when Panem was built? Well, that question shall be answered! Also, new families will be started, characters will undergo heartbreak and loss. Family ties and friendship will be stretched to it's limit. Will love be enough to pull them all through the hard times that no one ever anticipated? Read on to find out.  
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Chapter One

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Twelve year old female, restrained passenger in MVA (motor vehicle accident), sustained fractures to the right ulna and radius and left fibula." The paramedic fills me in as they wheel the young patient in the ER of Panem University Teaching Hospital. I am currently working as an Emergency room pediatrician at the hospital as a second year resident.

"I want a neck X-ray and a blood count." I instruct the nurses and intern that work under me.

"Doctor, breath sounds are shallow and short on the left side and her pulse-ox is only 89%." One of the nurses informs me.

"Alright, she'll need a chest tube," I conclude as I listen to her chest myself. The nurse hands me the kit and I make the incision between two or her ribs and slip the tube into her lung. After listening to the patient's chest again, I conclude that breath sounds are bilateral and even.

"She's waking up," My intern tells me.

"Hi, sweetheart," I say to the young girl. "Sweetheart, you were in an accident but we're taking care of you. You're going to be okay. Are you in any pain?" I ask her. She nods and I instruct the nurse to give her ten ccs of morphine for the pain.

"Where's my mom?" the little girl asks. I look up to the nurse for any information on the mother.

"She's up in surgery. Her spleen was torn. They're trying to save it. She should be fine." I nod as I receive the information.

"Your mom is fine, sweetheart. Can you tell me your name?" I request.

"Abby," The little girl sniffles.

"Well, Abby, I promise you that the doctors upstairs are going to take great care of your mom. Now, I'm going to take care of you. You need a couple of stitches for some of the cuts you got." I tell Abby as I take a seat on a stool next to the gurney. I love my job.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Alright, now, if you move your charcoal in short, swooping motions, that should give you the desired effect." I tell my drawing students as I step away from the piece of paper I using to show them how to do the different form of cartoonist drawings. Cartoonist drawings are one of on my favorite types of drawings.

The hour ends and I bid my students goodbye, telling them they should practice on their own. I never thought I would enjoy teaching art as much as I find that I do. It is quite rewarding to help people learn a new skill.

"Is that your last class of the day?" My wife of six wonderful years, Harper, asks me as she comes into the classroom.

"Yeah, I'm all yours for the rest of the day," I tell her as we share a gentle kiss.

"Good, now go sweep the gallery," She instructs me and I can't help but laugh. Of course that's all she wants me to do.

Harper and I started the Mellark Studios just six years ago. It is truly amazing to see how far our little studio has come in those short years. Now, together, we teach ten different classes a week and have regular, Friday night gallery shows. We get to show off not only our work, but the work of others. A lot of famous pieces have passed through here first before moving onto museums or bigger galleries. Mellark Studios is now a big part of the art culture in Panem. I love my job, and I get to do it with the love of my life by my side.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"Alright Lilac, that was a good session. I don't think we'll need to record it again, but I can't be sure until I've listened it through. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?" Dave, my manager and recorded, suggests.

"Thanks, Dave. See ya tomorrow!" I call as I leave the recording booth. Ash, my boyfriend of six years, is waiting for me outside of the recording booth. He and I have plans to go out to dinner together tonight.

"Ready?" He asks me and I nod as I grab my purse in one hand and his in the other.

Ash and I have been in love with each other for probably ten or more years. We've been in a relationship for just the six past years. And, for the last two years, we've been co-workers. We both graduated from Panem University with degrees in various musical subjects and decided we wanted to start our own recording label and studio. And now, thanks to us, Life Music exists and is available to all the good citizens of Panem.

Ash and I are just natural born performers. Once I taught Ash how to get over his stage fright, we were both golden on stage. And, whenever we performed together, it was just pure magic. There was just something about standing on that stage with the love of my life that makes me feel more alive than I've ever felt. I might not always feel like I belong, but when I'm on the stage with Ash I _know _that that is where I belong.

Liam Hawthorne's POV

I throw yet another piece of crumbled paper into the waste basket in my office. I've spent all day trying to come up with a design for the newest and latest trains. I've already had prototypes of their engines built; I just have to finish their body styles. Then, I'll be good to go.

"Babe, you're stressing out too much," Destiny Starr, my long term, on again off again, girlfriend tells me as she comes into my office and starts rubbing my shoulders. "Stress isn't good for you. It really messes with your brain and your heart. Just give yourself a minute to relax. Then, all the ideas will just come rushing to your head."

"Thanks, baby," I say as I lean up and kiss Destiny's full, pink lips. If it weren't for Destiny, I probably would have already stressed myself to an early grave. No one ever told me that being an engineer included so much stress.

Well, I guess that is partly my fault. I did accept a job at one of the toughest companies in all of Panem. When I was given the opportunity, there was no way I could say no. It was my dream job and I got to work with my girl. What could be better?

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I straighten my back and take a minute to work the kink out of my neck. Spending three hours bent over a microscope does have its disadvantages. I rub my eyes and take a look at the clock on the wall of my research lab. It is almost nine o'clock at night.

My wife, Dr. Ivy Abernathy, formerly Ivy Mellark, should be home from her shift at Panem University Teaching Hospital in about half an hour, so I decide I should probably head home. I make sure to take a couple swings of coffee before I strap on my motorcycle helmet and drive home.

Ivy and I live in an apartment that is about five minutes from both of our jobs and pretty amazing for what we are paying. We moved here about a month after we got married, which was about six months ago. When I get home, I make a quick dinner of spaghetti and garlic toast so my beautiful wife can come home to a nice meal.

"I'm home," Ivy says as she walks through the door. Like every night, she sounds tired. I guess that comes with the territory when you're a resident in the ER.

"How was your day?" I ask her as I give her a quick peck on the lips. Ivy tells me all about her day while we eat dinner together. I have to say that I do kind of love hearing about Ivy's days as a doctor. She always makes it sound so interesting. She really is a wonderful doctor. It had taken her a very long time to decide on a specialty, but I think pediatric emergency medicine really suits her. She's quick thinking and just loves kids so much. She's going to make a great mother.

"I love you," I tell my wife, not caring that I am probably interrupting her story. I just had to tell her.

"I love you, too." Ivy replies with a smile before returning to her story.

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**First off, thank you all for reading! I'm sure most of you are readers of my other three stories in this series, so welcome back! If you haven't read those other three stories, I do highly suggest it before you continue reading this story. Everything will just make more sense!**

**Alright, down to a little business:  
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**M stuff . . . Yes or no?  
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**Do you guys want me to keep the medical terminology or do you just want me to kind of skip it all?  
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**If there's something you don't understand, such as scientific mumbo-jumbo, or you just want to know more about it, feel free to ask in your review or PM me. Or you can google it yourself, whatever works!  
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**Now, I have to go back to school tomorrow after this nice, four day weekend. So, if you don't see a second chapter for like a week, I'm sorry! I have not forgotten nor given up! I am just trying to survive my junior year of high school! Thank you for understanding!  
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**Well, I really hope you guys are excited because this story I think is going to be the best yet! I have so much planned already! I can't wait! Thank you so much for reading and please leave me a review on your way out!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, Everybody! So, I barely had ANY homework at all! It's like a miracle, guys! You have no idea how happy I am that I got to write you guys this chapter tonight! I was so worried it would take me like two weeks to get this to you! Alright, well, go ahead and read on!  
**

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Chapter Two

Finn Mellark's POV

The golden sun of District Four warms my skin as I walk across the hot sand of the beach. Salt water drips from my blonde hair and down to the sand beneath my feet. A long swim in the ocean waters of District Four is just the right thing to keep you in a good mood. That and seeing the woman you love sunbathing.

"Hey, baby," I say as I sit down next to my longtime girlfriend, Summer Emerson. She turns her head to face me and then smiles before responding.

"How was your swim?" She asks me. Even with her aviator sunglasses covering her eyes, I can tell that her smile reaches up to them, making the gorgeous, turquoise orbs twinkle.

"It would have been a lot better if you had joined me," I tease her, a smile spreading across my features. It's next to impossible for me not to smile around this woman.

"You need more training than I do. I totally kicked your ass in that last meet we had." Summer replies, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Yeah, well, be prepared, because next month I am going to totally take down your record." I smirk.

"I doubt it," Summer tells me. We lie together on the sun-warmed sand for a long portion of the afternoon. Neither of us has any where we need to be today, which is quite rare. Most of the time, we are both extremely busy training for the Olympics, which are still are still three years away.

Summer and I have both had the opportunity to compete in two Olympics already. The first had been when we were both seniors in college. We both totally owned. There was barely anyone that could even come close to our skill level in our aquatic events. I guess that is one of the benefits of swimming for almost all of your life.

Last year we had competed in our second Olympics. The competition had actually been a little tougher than four years earlier. It was obvious that more athletes had started training and training harder at that. So, that meant that Summer and I would have to step it up for the next Olympics.

Around four o'clock, Summer and I decide to head to one of the boardwalk restaurants for dinner. Two years ago, after spending way too much time away from Summer, I decided to move to District Four so I could be closer to her. Now, we shared an apartment that overlooked the beaches of District Four.

I can't even describe how wonderful it is to wake up to the woman you love every morning. I couldn't imagine ever not being so close to Summer anymore. And I don't ever want to be apart for so long ever again. Summer is the girl of my dreams and I don't ever plan on letting her go.

As we walk hand and hand down the boardwalk, I can't help but think about how great it would be to spend the rest of my life with Summer. She's everything I've ever dreamed about having a in a girl. She's athletic, smart, sexy, and funny; she's everything to me. She glances over at me, a smile on her lips, and I feel my heart rate increase. She's the only girl that's ever done that to me. I've never felt anything like this with any other girl. She makes me feel . . . alive, for the first time in my life.

"I love you," I tell her; bringing her hand up to my lips so I can kiss her knuckles.

"I love you, too." She tells me with a smile.

We spend the rest of our night, together, on the beach. I never thought I would enjoy long walks on the beach, but with Summer I do. She makes every aspect of my life just that much more enjoyable with nothing but her presence. I can't help but stare at her as we walk together in the moonlight. Her beach blonde hair and sun-kissed skin are the perfect contrast to the midnight blue of the night sky. The light from the moon makes her entire being glow in the darkness, making her appear as an angel before me. There's no other choice. Summer Emerson has to become my wife.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

The feeling of a pair of lips traveling along my shoulder blade pulls me from my fog of sleep. I sigh and push my body closer against the warmth of his.

"You need to wake up, sweetheart." Alex tells me, his chuckle echoing through our bedroom. I feel his arms go around me and decide to open my eyes.

"Good morning," I say when I open my eyes to find Alex lying next to me in our bed, smiling at me.

"Good morning, beautiful," He replies, leaning in for a quick kiss. After we first got married, I would refuse to kiss him before I brushed my teeth, fearing my morning breath was just that bad. About a month in, I gave up and now I await these good morning kisses eagerly.

"I love you," I tell him once we pull our lips away from each other's.

"I love you, too." He replies, pushing a stray lock of brown hair from my face. Alex and I lie in bed together for a bit longer, neither of us really wanting to separate and head off to our different jobs. Alex trails kisses along my shoulders and neck and lips. I run my fingers through his messy hair.

"Ivy, can I ask you about something?" Alex asks me.

"Of course you can," I tell him, clasping his hand with my fingers.

"Well, um, I was just . . . I guess I was just wondering what you thought about . . . having kids . . ." Alex kind of stammers out nervously. Kids?

"Oh," I reply, kind of stupidly.

"I mean, I know we just got married but, I don't know, we love each other and we're married, and we both want kids . . . You want kids, right?" Alex continues, more nervous than I've seen him in a while.

"Of course I want kids!" I tell him. "I've just been on birth control, because I didn't think you'd want kids right away."

"Well, we've been married for about seven months. I'd like . . . I'd like to have a baby with you." Alex says.

"I'd love to have your baby, Alex. I'll stop taking my birth control today." I tell him, smiling.

"You'll make a great mother," Alex tells me.

"You'll make a great daddy," I reply, kissing his lips once more.

"What do you have for me?" I ask Cassie, one of the nurses in the ER, as I come in for my shift. I'm already wearing my scrubs so there's no need for me to waste any time before getting to my patients.

"There's a five year old in exam three with a possible wrist fracture. Kid seems pretty calm, but his mom is a total wreck." Cassie tells me, handing me the chart. I skim over the chart as I take the short walk to exam room three.

"Billy, I hear you hurt your wrist," I say as I pull up a stool to the patients bed.

"Yeah, I fell off of the monkey bars," Billy tells me. Despite his injury, Billy is still giving me a toothy grin. His mother, on the other hand, looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack.

"Well, we'll just get an X-ray and go from there," I say, more to Billy's mom than to Billy himself. I sign off on the orders for his X-rays and leave the room to find a nurse to take them down to radiology, thoughts of babies still running through my mind.

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**And the baby talk begins! This is quite exciting, guys! Before you know it, they'll be baby after baby after baby popping out of your favorite characters! (Well, unless Alex or Finn or any other guy is your favorite character, LOL!). I'm so excited, it's really kind of pathetic . . . Oh well! Now, I have no idea how much homework I'll have this week, but I promise you guys you will get at least one chapter before next Monday (hopefully a lot more than that!). I'm going to try my best to keep updates regular and frequent for you guys! It's the least you deserve! Now, I started another poll, but this one is for whether or not you want to see M rated stuff. I really need you guys to vote so I can write the next chapters (as you can see from above, some baby making shall be taking place quite soon) and I need to know what you guys want to see. Thank you so much for reading and please leave me a review! Your reviews are always the highlights to my days! Thank you so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, Everybody! Guess who didn't have any homework today! Well, that's a lie because I still have to study for physics . . . but you guys are a bit more important to me than physics (which probably isn't a good thing . . . oh well!). Well, here's chapter three! AHHHHH! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Three

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"That's a very interesting piece," My wife, Harper, tells me as she kisses my right shoulder blade and peers at my artwork. The piece I am currently working on is a painting that focuses on only three colors: red, orange, and black. The black turned into trees, burnt and charred by the raging forest fire that consumes the rest of the space in the picture.

"Thank you," I reply, titling my head and giving my wife a quick kiss. "How's the gallery's business today?" I ask her. Harper and I both take turns teaching art classes and then managing the gallery portion of Mellark Studios. It's quite an efficient system we have worked out and we have yet to have to hire any extra help, which is good since our first couple years of business didn't go as well as we had hoped for.

Harper and I struggled a bit during our first two years of business. People either weren't aware of our presence here in the Capitol or they just didn't care. There were times when I was honestly afraid that Harper and I would have to abandon our dreams.

That, of course, had forced Harper and I put off starting our family together. We both agreed that it wouldn't be a wise decision to have children while we were still trying to get our business and financial security on its feet. So, Harper went on birth control and we went on with our lives.

Now, Mellark Studios is one of the most talked about and most successful art studios and galleries in the Capitol. Two years ago it had really taken off after a very famous museum curator came in and bought one of my pieces. That was one of the most surreal moments in life. That had really pushed us into a good place.

This now meant that Harper and I could possibly start our family soon, something we were both dying to do. Harper was going to be a wonderful mother. She's the most understanding, caring, and loving woman I've ever met. Any child would be lucky to call her mommy.

"What are you thinking about?" Harper asks me, her fingers gently running through my hair.

"Babies," I reply quietly.

"You know, we could start trying for a baby," Harper tells me, her deep, chocolate brown eyes peering into my own eyes.

"Are you sure you're ready?" I ask her. "I want to make sure we're both on the same page and that you're sure we're stable, financially and otherwise."

"Phoenix, we're more than financially stable. The Studio is doing great!" Harper replies. "And I think you and I are ready. We both know that neither of us is ever going to back out of this relationship. I think having a baby would just make our relationship better. You're going to be a great dad."

"You're going to be a fantastic mom," I tell her, kissing her gently.

"So does this mean what I think it means?" Harper asks me, a tender smile playing on her beautiful lips.

"I don't know. What do you think this means?" I ask her teasingly, smiling back at her.

"Well, I hope it means we're going to try for a baby," She replies.

"Oh, we are definitely going to try for a baby," I respond with a chuckle. Harper just laughs and rolls her eyes at me before pulling my face down to hers with both of her hands.

"You, Phoenix Aiden Mellark, are the most amazing man on the face of this earth," Harper tells me. I have no chance to reply because she is kissing my lips passionately. Well, it's always good to get a jump on all of that baby making.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

I scratch my head as I finally finish signing off on all my charts from this morning. I love being a doctor, but the paperwork is the absolute worst part of my job. I really wish I could just forgo all the paperwork and just spend my entire shift with patients. I became a doctor to help people, not kill hundreds of trees with paperwork. But, alas, it must be done or else the entire hospital would probably end up in ruin of chaos.

"Dr. Abernathy, we have a three year old coming in that just fell off of a jungle gym. The paramedics said he's unconscious and his blood pressure, but his breathing and heart rate are fine. Their ETA (estimated time of arrival) is four minutes." Cassie pokes her head into my office to inform me.

"I'll be right out. I want him in trauma room one. Make sure CT is aware that we'll probably be sending him up soon." I instruct Cassie before grabbing my stethoscope and heading out to the ER.

The boy who fell off the jumble gym, Brendan, comes into the ER just a few seconds later. He is still unconscious and the first injury I notice is the large gash that is on his small forehead, which is practically covered in blood as is his hair. His mother follows the paramedics into the ER. She is currently in a borderline hysterical state so I have Cassie go with her to the waiting room while I grab two nurses and an intern to accompany me in treating the boy.

The first thing I do is check his pupils, which are equal and reactive. Next, I order neck X-rays to make sure that his neck is not broken. Once I am sure his neck is table, I take off the collar the paramedics had put on his and send him quickly up to the CT scan to check for any intracranial bleeding.

Brendan comes back from the CT scan and his films tell me that there is, in fact, no intracranial bleeding. Then, why is he still unconscious? His breathing and heart rate are perfectly fine. Even his blood pressure is coming down. Why?

Just as I am contemplating this in my mind and studying his X-rays and CT pictures again, Brendan lets out a low whimper. I quickly turn around and rush over to his bed side. I check his pupils again and they are just as perfect as they were when I checked them before. It seems that the only injuries this little boy is going to end up having will be the laceration on his forehead and then a pretty nasty concussion.

"Brendan, you're alright, sweetie. You're in the hospital after you fell of the jungle gym. You're going to be just fine." I tell Brendan quietly. He just kind of looks back at me, his eye brows furrowed. This, of course, is perfectly normal. He'll be confused for a while, and sleepy, which is normal.

I pull up a stool to the bedside and, after numbing the area, begin suturing Brendan's forehead up. Brendan is a model patient, only letting out a few whimpers now and then. Once he is all stitched up, Cassie brings in his mother. I get their discharge orders ready and Brendan's mom thanks me a few dozen times. This is why I became a doctor!

Back at the central desk in the ER, I am just picking up another chart when a relatively young man, maybe his early twenties or late teens, comes into the ER. I am quickly alerted to the fact that there is blood all over his shirt and face. He has a wild and sporadic look in his eyes. And that's when I see the glint of sunlight reflecting off metal. He has a gun.

"Everyone get down!" I yell as I push a few of the nurses at the desk underneath the desk. The man looks around wildly and then his gaze falls on me. I barely have the split second to gulp when he raises the gun. A loud noise fills the ER and a blasting pain runs through my body. I try to clutch to the desk to keep myself upright, but I just end up sinking down to the ground. Blood pours from my abdomen, through my fingers as I press them against the wound.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. The ER turns into complete chaos around me. People are yelling. I see security guards struggle with the young gunman. People appear in front of me, doctors and nurses, and together they hoist me up onto a gurney. Brendan and his mother, who are clutching each other in a corner, catch my eye as I am wheeled into the very trauma room I treated Brendan in.

The doctors and nurses that are working on me beg me to stay with them. I want to, I really want to, but I am just so tired. Strangely, the pain I initially felt has subsided. I have a faint recollection that that cannot be a good thing. Alex, he is my last thought before I let the dark cover of welcomed unconsciousness pull me under.

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**Bring on the hate. I can take it. It's not like any of you know where I live, so you can't kill me! Hahahaha! Well, hopefully I can get the next chapter up tomorrow, we'll have to see. I'll get you guys the next chapter ASAP, I promise! I really hope it's tomorrow! Thanks so much for reading! Tell me how you feel about my cliffhanger in your review! Thanks so much!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, Everybody! It was nice to see that you all just LOVED my cliffhanger ;) Don't worry, this one isn't a cliffhanger. Well, I won't bother you with my ramblings. Read on!  
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Chapter Four

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Three hours, it's been three hours since I got the most horrifying call of my entire life. I had just sat down at my microscope to study how a new antibiotic we had created would fight off common infections when my phone rang. I honestly didn't hear anything after "Your wife was shot". My blood had run cold and my heart had stopped.

Obviously, I had rushed right over to the ER, but by the time I got there, Ivy had already been transferred up to surgery. A nurse led me up to the surgery waiting room and that's where I've been for the last two hours and forty five minutes. Thankfully, one of the nurses had been gracious enough to call Phoenix and Lilac for me. I don't think I could have had that conversation without breaking down. I honestly didn't know how I hadn't broken down already.

"I called mom and dad," Phoenix tells me as he takes the empty seat to my right, referring to his and Ivy's parents. I just nod, not trusting my own voice at this point. I feel like I should be mad at the man that shot my wife, but I am too confused by the fear that I'm going to lose the only woman I've ever loved. Three hours is too long for a surgery.

"She's going to be alright." Phoenix tells me, as if he can read my very thoughts. "She's a fighter, you know that."

"She just been through so much already," I say, finally breaking my own silent streak. "She doesn't deserve this." My voice cracks as I speak.

"You're right. She doesn't deserve this, but it happened and there's nothing anyone can do about it now. What we can do is help her pull through." Phoenix tells me. I know he is right, but I just can't stop going over and over everything Ivy has been through. She's been hurt too much for someone as perfect as she is. It's just not fair.

"Mr. Abernathy," A tall man wearing blue scrubs and a lab coat says after stepping through the doors that lead to the operating rooms.

"Yes?" I reply, hoping he has good news about my wife.

"Well, your wife's surgery went well and she is now in recovery. She'll most likely be unconscious for the rest of the night from the drugs we gave her, both for the surgery and for pain. Now, I don't know how much you know about anatomy, but the bullet that hit your wife nicked her liver, her spleen, and a portion of her uterus. We were able to repair all the damage but there will be internal scarring. Whether or not your wife will have any problems from that scarring, I am uncertain as of now. What I do know is that your wife is doing quite well at the moment. You should be able to go back and see her in just a little bit." And, with that, the doctor leaves.

"You understood what he said, right?" Phoenix asks me, looking slightly confused.

"Yeah, I understood it. Ivy's okay." I say, more to myself than to Phoenix.

Lilac and Harper arrive, having left to get coffee about twenty minutes ago. While we sip our coffee, I relay all the information the doctor gave me. After receiving very confused looks, I turn the doctor's words in laymen's terms. Once they understand, relief floods both of their faces.

Ten minutes later, a nurse comes into the waiting room to take me back to Ivy's recovery room. The room Ivy is in is dark, the only light coming from the hallway and the machines that Ivy is hooked up to. There are tubes in her arms, supplying her body with much needed nutrients. The steady beep of the heart monitor gives me extra reassurance that my wife is okay.

Ivy is still unconscious, as was expected. Even now, she looks absolutely beautiful. Honestly, it's been a while since I've seen Ivy's features so relaxed. Ever since medical school, Ivy's spent most of her days tired and anxious about something. That's probably the biggest thing I dislike about Ivy's choice, even against her long hours.

I pull up a chair beside Ivy's bed and then clasp her hand in both of mine. I kiss each of her knuckles, telling her how much I love her after every one. Not knowing what else to say, I begin to tell Ivy about the experiment I've been working on all week in my laboratory. As I am reaching the end of my explanation, I fade out as I stare off into the darkness of the room.

"Don't stop now. I want to know what happened," I hear Ivy's beautiful voice say. My head snaps up and I am met with Ivy's gorgeous grey eyes staring back at me. She gives me a weak, half smile and so much relief floods through me that I am afraid I might actually cry.

"Don't cry," Ivy says, worry coming over her features. She must be able to see the glint of tears in my eyes.

"I won't." I tell her. "I'm just so glad you're okay. I was so afraid I was going to lose you."

"I'm okay," She replies.

"Ivy, you got shot. That doesn't mean you're okay." I say.

"The surgeons fixed me up. That does mean I'm okay," Ivy argues. I drop the topic, not wanting to fight with Ivy after almost losing her.

"So, I guess this means we'll have to post-pone that baby making we had planned for tonight." I tease, laying my head onto Ivy's hospital bed in a position that I can still see her beautiful face.

"Oh, and I was really looking forward to that," Ivy replies with the cutest pout I have ever seen in my entire life. She runs her fingers through my hair and I relish in the feeling.

"Well, I promise we'll get to it as soon as you're all healed up. I don't want to do anything that will make it take longer for you to heal up." I tell Ivy.

"I hope we have a boy and that he has your eyes," Ivy says quietly.

"I hope we have a girl and she has your hair," I reply, staring up at the love of my life.

"Alex, do you think that maybe we should start looking for a house, especially if we're talking about having kids. I love our apartment, but it's not exactly big and you and I are on top of each other already. Adding another human being, no matter how small, is going to be pretty hard." Ivy says.

"I suppose we should start looking for a place. With the money we're both making, a mortgage shouldn't be a problem." I reply. "Maybe we can find one is a nice little neighborhood where our kids could have lots of friends."

"That would be nice. I can picture us living in the suburbs." Ivy responds. "We could have cookouts and birthday parties. It'll be nice."

"It will be," I agree, still silently thanking the heavens that my wife is safe.

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**Sorry it's kind of short . . . :/ I just really wanted to get this up for you guys tonight! I may or may not update this weekend, I'm still not sure . . . Sunday for sure you should have another chapter! Guess what! My car is fixed! WHOOOOOOOOOOO! Thanks so much for reading and please review! And now i must do my homework!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, Everybody! As promised, here is a chapter to liven up your sunday afternoon! Possibly two more chapters will be coming your way today so keep an eye out for those. Well, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Five

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Six Weeks Later*_

"Lilac," Ash's musical voice reaches me through my fog of sleep. "Lilac, you need to wake up."

"Do I have to?" I ask him with a groan. I really didn't think I'd actually have to get up at seven in the morning, especially when I opened my own business.

"Yes, you do, baby. Coffee is already made and I'm going to start breakfast." Ash tells me. He plants a kiss on the top of my head before heading out of our bedroom. Five minutes later, I finally pull myself into a sitting position in our queen size bed.

Ash and I have been living in the same apartment for the last two years. It's a nice, small, one bedroom apartment right in the heart of downtown. I absolutely love living downtown. It's the perfect place for an up and coming musician.

The apartment itself is quite fantastic. It's very contemporary, which I absolutely love. All the appliances and furniture are as modern as they come. Ash and I spent many weeks making this apartment our home and we both think we did it perfectly. I couldn't imagine a better place to be living with my boyfriend.

Out in the kitchen, the coffee promised by Ash is sitting on the kitchen table. Ash is standing at the stove, looking very sexy as he cooks our breakfast. Living with Ash has been one of the best experiences of my life. There's just something about waking up next to the person you love every morning that makes everything else in the world feel perfect.

"Wow, I thought I was going to have to pry you out of that bed," Ash jokes as he places our breakfast on the kitchen table.

"You're so funny," I reply sarcastically as I take a seat next to him. Ash and I eat in a bit of silence. He is reading the newspaper. Ash is a total news junky, which I find funny. I am thinking about what it would be like to spend the rest of my life with Ash Hemlock.

Ash and I haven't ever really talked about marriage. We've spent the last six years doing everything we could to get our music business up and running. But, now, with our business stable, will he ask me to marry him? It's not like I would ever say no to him if he did ask, but it doesn't seem like he's thinking about asking me. With Alex and Phoenix, it would kind of obvious when they were getting ready to propose. I haven't seen any of the signs with Ash.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Ash asks me, shoveling a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Nothing," I reply nonchalantly. I don't need to scare Ash off with all my thoughts about marriage.

"I'm not buying it. Tell me what you're thinking." Ash persists. I internally sigh. If I don't tell him, he'll be worried something is going on and he'll think it's a big deal. If I do tell him, I could scare him off and then we'll break up. I'd rather just be Ash's girlfriend than not have him in my life anymore.

"I was just thinking about marriage. It's no big deal." I reply, again, in a nonchalant manner. Ash is silent for a while, a look of deep thought on his face. My heart starts to race as I dread Ash's reaction. He starts opening his mouth to speak and I gulp.

"Well, actually, marriage is kind of a big deal." He says calmly. "Did you want to get married?" Ash asks me, his deep, forest green eyes searching mine.

"Well, I mean . . . If you don't . . . then I guess . . ." I stammer, not quite knowing what to say.

"Lilac, do you want to get married?" Ash asks me again.

"Yes, I would like to get married." I admit, averting my eyes from his gaze.

"I'd like to get married, too." Ash replies, smiling at me.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

Five minutes; I can't believe this stupid test takes five whole minutes! The test in which I am speaking of is the first early pregnancy test I have taken since Alex and I started trying for a baby. And it takes five minutes before it can determine whether or not I have conceived a child. That means five minutes of agony for me and five minutes of anxiety for Alex, who is standing on the other side of the closed bathroom door.

Of course, the fact that I got shot kind of ended up putting off mine and Alex's chances to try for a baby. It had taken me three weeks to mostly recover from my shooting. I still had some soreness and a little bit of pain, but it's much better than it was my first week of recovery. Alex had been very supportive during this whole thing. Actually, it had taken me almost two days to convince him that I was okay enough to try to get pregnant.

"What does it say?" Alex asks me, knocking on the bathroom door. I take a deep breath before moving over to the sink where the pregnancy test is resting. Two pink lines will tell me I am pregnant. I close my eyes as I pick up the test, not sure if I am ready to see the results.

I open my eyes and am met with a single pink line. I am not pregnant. I sigh as I throw the negative pregnancy test into the trash bin the bathroom. Alex knocks on the door again. He must have taken note of the time. He knows that I will know the answer by now. I open the door to a very anxious Alexander Abernathy.

"Negative," I tell him, giving him a weak smile.

"It's okay. We've only been trying for a couple of weeks. It'll happen when the time is right." Alex replies, giving me a weak smile and pulling me to his side.

"I know. I know." I say, trying not to sound upset.

"Hey, you know, we could jump right back into baby making," Alex tells me, attempting to be seductive. I can't help the laugh that escapes my mouth.

This, of course, does absolutely nothing to deter my husband. Alex tilts my face up to him so he can kiss my lips. As our lips move against one another's, Alex's hands roam over my body.

"I love you," Alex mumbles against my lips as we stare into each other's eyes.

"I love you, too." I tell him, leaning up to kiss his lips. I move my fingers to the buttons of his red, plaid shirt. Once I have all the buttons undone, I let my fingers roam over his carefully chiseled muscles. Who ever said nerds weren't hot was very, very wrong about that.

Alex and I break apart for just a second to pull our shirts over our heads. In less than ten seconds, we are back to kissing each other and exploring each other's bodies. As Alex's fingers trail along my skin, they leave a trail of burning passion. My fingers trail down to the button of my husband's jeans and I carefully undo it and then unzip his pants slowly. Alex's hands trail across my backside and then he undoes my pants. We both shimmy out of our pants and underwear.

"Make love to me," I whisper against Alex's lips. He lowers me down onto our bed and does what I asked him to.

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**First off, I really need some feedback on that last part. Too much? Too little? Just overall bad? I really need you to tell me! I'm kind of at a loss when it comes to intimate stuff like that. Anyhow, I'm gonna try to get you guys those other two chapters before the end of the day. I wanna get you guys a lot today because I don't know how crazy this week is going to be and I'd hate to leave you guys just hanging. Thanks so much for reading and please review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, Everybody! Another chapter! Yay! This chapter is the beginning of where things get interesting. I don't want to give anything away so I'm just going to let you read. Read on! (Also, this first part is just something I was trying out, so bare with me please. Let me know what you think, too, thanks!)  
**

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Chapter Six

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*Three Months Later*_

"Alex, wake up." I say quietly as I kiss my husband's bare chest. He groans something unintelligible in response. "Come on, wake up." I repeat, kissing up to his neck. I let my teeth graze against the sensitive skin of his neck and smile when I hear his moan.

"Good morning," Alex smiles at me groggily.

"Good morning," I tell him as I move on top of him. I kiss him again and run my fingers through his messy hair. Alex's hands go my waist as he holds me close to his body.

"Oh, baby," Alex moans as I go back to kissing his neck. I don't have to worry about stripping him of his clothes as neither of us is wearing anything already. We shift so that I am straddling him, but we are still kissing each other. I can already feel him against me as our kiss intensifies.

Our tongues duel for dominance as Alex enters me slowly. Pleasure courses through my veins as we move together. To me, there is almost nothing better than sharing something this personally intimate with the love of my life. As we continue to move together, our kiss deepens and becomes fiercer in nature. We reach our peaks together and I collapse onto Alex's chest.

"Now that is the best way to wake up in the morning," Alex says as he strokes my hair and catches his breath.

"I'm glad you feel that way," I reply, tracing a circle around one of his nipples with my index finger.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but where exactly did that come from?" Alex asks me. I knew he was going to ask. Really, it's not like the first thing I do every morning is seduce my husband so it makes sense that he would ask.

"Well, I'm. . . I'm supposed to be ovulating today." I tell him, the circular motion of my index finger ceasing. Alex doesn't say anything, but instead just nods. He understands.

We've been trying for a little over four months now. So far, I've taken three home pregnancy tests. So far, every single one of them has been negative. And trust me, it's not from lack of trying. Honestly, I feel like all we do now is have sex. Now, I'm not complaining or anything. I love being intimate with my husband. I just wish it wasn't practically the only thing we've been doing lately.

I snuggle up closer to Alex and lay my head on his chest. I can hear the steady beat of his heart as we lie in silence together. Most of the time we avoid talking about it, but I know we're both always thinking the same thing: What if I can't get pregnant? It's the first thing I think about when I get up in the morning and it's the last thing I think of when I go to bed at night. I think about it whenever I treat a baby in the ER or see a pregnant woman.

Alex always tells me it will happen when it's supposed to, but it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to stay positive. I'm afraid that I won't be able to give him the children he deserves. I know Alex would make a fantastic father. What if I'm the only thing holding him back from being that fantastic father?

"Alex, I want to go to a specialist and get some tests done." I say, breaking the silence that had fallen on our apartment.

"Ivy, we really don't have to. It's going to happen when the time is right." Alex replies. The way he can stay so positive all the time just irks me.

"That might be true, Alex, but I just want to go. For my own peace of mind," I tell him. I get out of bed and cross the room to our closet.

"If you really want to go, then I'll go." Alex says, following me to our closet. We shower together and then get dressed. Today is one of those rare days where we both have the day off. We eat breakfast together, in silence, and then head to Panem University Teaching Hospital to meet with the head endocrinologist, Dr. Styles.

Once we are at Dr. Styles office and after a brief visit with him, the nurses and doctors start the tests. Alex and I both undergo blood tests. The doctor requests a semen sample from Alex and an MRI for me. After my MRI is done, I am sent to get an HSG. (Hysterosalpingogram, **A/N, sorry guys, but I'm not going to go into all the detail about this specific tests. I don't really think most of you would want to know about it anyway. If you do want to know about it, I suggest Googling it. Thanks for understanding, guys.)**

Once all these tests have been done, Alex and I end up spending about three hours hanging around the hospital on our day off waiting for the results of our tests. It's not like it would make a difference. We'd be just as anxious if we were at home waiting for the results. Finally, we are called in Dr. Styles office to discuss the test results.

As Alex and I take a seat on the small loveseat in front of Dr. Styles office desk, my heart begins to beat rapidly against my ribcage. I don't think it's ever beat quite this hard in my entire life. I clutch to Alex's hand so much I fear I may cut off the circulation to his fingers.

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy, I'm going to go through every test and its results with you. We'll begin with Mr. Abernathy's blood work." And so, Dr. Styles goes on and on with every tests' results. I actually kind of appreciate the fact that he's going through all this with us. Normally, patients don't get a rundown of every single test and I know why Dr. Styles is doing this. A few years back, when I was in my fourth year of medical school, I did a three month rotation in the field of endocrinology with Dr. Styles. I had actually briefly considered going into endocrinology as my career, but pediatrics won out in the end.

As Dr. Styles moves through all of the tests, I come to the point where I realize that Alex is in tip top health. Every single one of his tests has come back completely normal. This means that I am the one that is making it impossible for Alex to become the wonderful father I am sure he will be. When I come to this conclusion, I actually have to stop myself from becoming too emotional. Right now, I need to listen to what Dr. Styles is telling us.

"Now, the results of your HSG, Mrs. Abernathy, were abnormal." As soon as Dr. Styles says it, I feel like just breaking down here and now, but I keep my composure with great difficulty. "The test showed that there is, indeed, some scar tissue in your fallopian tubes. I took the liberty to look at your medical history. I was hoping I could find the origin of this scar tissue and I believe I have. About five months ago, Mrs. Abernathy, you were shot while working a shift in the ER, correct?" Dr. Styles asks me.

"Correct," I tell him. The crack in my voice is quite audible.

"Well, it would seem that the results of that shooting were more long term than your surgeons believed at the time. The bullet went through the point where the fallopian tube and uterus meet. The surgeons were able to fix that, but the result was that you were left with permanent internal scarring that would prevent a fertilized egg to pass through your fallopian tube and into the uterus to implant into the uterine wall.

"Now, usually, this would not be a problem at all, as a woman has two fallopian tubes. But, it seems that, in your other fallopian tube, there is also an obstruction. I believe this obstruction is caused by endometriosis. With endometriosis, cells that line the uterus grow outside of the uterus. In this case, those cells are growing in and blocking your other fallopian tube." Dr. Styles stops speaking for a moment. I am clutching Alex's hand so tightly I can feel my nails digging into the flesh of his palm. My heart is thumping extremely loudly inside my chest. "Mrs. Abernathy, I'm sorry, there is a zero percent chance that you will be able to naturally conceive a child."

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**Guys, I'll be honest, I feel like _I _might actually cry at the hands of my own writing. I know, I know there was a lot of medical terminology, but thats how doctors give it to patients in a live setting so I was just trying to keep things real. If there's something you want to know more about, you can PM me and I can send you a link of where I got my information or you can just google it yourself. I'm going to try to get another chapter in tonight because I would really hate to leave you guys with that cliffhanger chapter all week. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think about this little turn of events in a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, Everybody! Whew! Barely got this one in before I have to go to bed. Well, I don't have much to say except for: Read on!**

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Chapter Seven

Alexander Abernathy's POV

My mouth falls open. It just hangs opens, as if I am about to say something, as I remain completely motionless. What could I say at this moment? Dr. Styles just informed my wife and me that we won't be able to conceive. There are no words that I can say that would be adequate to fit this moment.

I tilt my head just a bit so I can get a look at Ivy. The look on her face is one of just pure horror. Her face has gone pale and she almost looks like she's going to throw up. Dr. Styles is asking us if we are okay and if we would like to start discussing our options. He's just about to start informing us of our options when Ivy abruptly gets up from the loveseat and leaves the office.

I thank and apologize to Dr. Styles before rushing after Ivy. She is in the elevator, whose doors are almost shut. I run and just barely make it into the elevator before the doors shut and it begins its decent.

Ivy is visibly shaking and dry heaving. I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly to me. This is when she finally breaks down. Heart wrenching sobs wrack through Ivy's small frame as I hold her. I've never heard such sorrowful sounds come from Ivy.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry," Ivy sobs into my chest.

"Oh, honey, you don't have anything to be sorry for," I tell her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Yes . . . yes I do. I-It's my fa-fault tha-that y-you can-can't ha-have bab-babies." Ivy sobs. Oh, how can she think this is her fault? There's nothing she could have done to prevent this.

"Ivy, sweetheart, shh," I tell her. "This is in no way your fault. These things just happen, sweetie. No one is to blame."

"I-I just kn-know you would ma-make a gr-great da-daddy and you de-deserve t-to have ba-babies." Ivy continues to sob. The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I lead Ivy, who has traded her sobbing for quiet whimpering, to our car that is parked outside the hospital.

Outside, a soft drizzle has begun and the sky has grown dark. I find this quite fitting for mine and Ivy's situation. I get Ivy into the car and buckle her up before I climb into the driver's seat. As I drive us home, Ivy remains silent, except for a few whimpers every now and then, and stares out into the grey world around us.

Once we reach our apartment building, I leave Ivy up to our apartment. Inside, I get her into her pajamas and into bed. By now, Ivy is practically a zombie. I can't even imagine what is running through her mind right now. My biggest fear is that she is blaming herself.

This isn't her fault. The scar tissue left over from the surgery that was done to fix internal damage done by a bullet shot from a gun at the hands of a psycho-maniac is in no way Ivy's fault. Having a disease that causes cells to block her fallopian tube is absolutely not her fault. But I already know she is blaming herself. She will internalize this until she absolutely convinces herself that she is at fault.

I heat up some soup in the kitchen, hoping I will be able to get Ivy to eat just a little bit of it. But, when I bring it into our bedroom and attempt to feed her, she doesn't even acknowledge my presence. She just lies in bed, staring at the wall.

About eight o'clock, I crawl into bed beside Ivy. She is, of course, facing away from me, so I just wrap one of my arms around her waist and lie as close to her as I can. I lie there for a long time, not feeling sleepy at all. Really, the only thing I can think about is everything Dr. Styles told us today.

"Alex," I hear a quiet voice say my name. I crack my eyes open just a little bit and I am met with a dark room. I must have fallen asleep because I last remember a bit of light still streaming in through the window.

"Alex," My name is repeated. I turn my head and see Ivy, her eyes shining with unshed tears, staring back at me.

"Sweetheart," I say, moving to wrap her in my arms. This just breaks Ivy's dam of self-control. She practically throws herself into my arms and begins sobbing. I hold Ivy close to me as her heart wrenching sobs fill our apartment. I find myself blinking back my own tears as I hold my sobbing wife.

"It's okay, sweetheart, it is okay." I tell her, my voice cracking. Ivy wiggles a little bit out of my embrace and then looks up at me.

"Oh, Alex," She says, her hands going to wipe away the few tears that have escaped my eyes. We lie there for a while, both of us crying and holding each other. No words are needed. We both understand the other. Even a few, tender kisses are exchanged.

Neither of us falls back asleep. We just hold each other as the moon moves across the sky, casting an eerie light into our bedroom. Ivy apologizes a few more times to me and I have to tell her over and over again that this is not her fault.

"Alex, do you think . . . do you think it would be possible for us to . . . maybe . . . try in-vitro fertilization?" Ivy asks me as we lie in bed, our eyes red and puffy and our noses full of mucus, watching the sun peak above the horizon.

"We'll have to ask that when we go talk to Dr. Styles about our option." I tell her, stroking her soft, brown hair.

"What if I can never have a baby? What do we do then?" Ivy asks me, snuggling closer into my arms.

"We can always adopt. There are many children in Panem that need a loving home." I reply.

"Do you think we could love it the same as we would love our own baby?" Ivy inquires.

"I'm sure we could." I tell her. "That baby would be _our _baby. Maybe not by blood, but it would be ours because we raised him or her."

"I really wanted to give you a baby," Ivy says and I can hear that she is about to start crying again. It kills me a little bit more inside every time I have to see my beautiful wife cry.

"I know you did, sweetheart." I reply. "But I need you to remember that I don't love you any less than I did when I thought we were going to be able to have a baby. Ivy, you're everything to me and I would gladly give up having my own children than give up being your husband.

"Plus, adoption isn't a bad thing. You know, it is the reason you and I are together. If my parents hadn't adopted me after my biological parents died, we wouldn't have met. Ivy, no matter what happens, we will have our children. It might not be in the way we expected, but it will happen. We will become a family."

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**Yeah, I'm definitely going to cry a couple times during the course of this story. Now, I want to say something. In the last chapter, I said they wouldn't be able to conceive children naturally (naturally as in, well, you know what mean!). I never said they wouldn't have any children of their own. People, there is still hope! The miracles of modern (even more modern for this story) medicine! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! Interesting things are coming up people! Very interesting things!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, Everybody! Here's your chapter for the day! You should feel special because I am putting this above studying for my chemistry test. In this chapter, we deviate a bit away from straight Ivy and Alex. Well, go ahead, read on!  
**

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Chapter Eight

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*Meanwhile*_

I move the sponge in quick circular motions. Today I had to fill in for one of Harper's sculpting classes. It was pretty simple since she just had them work on the projects they've been working on for the last few weeks. I'm a pretty good artist, but sculpture has never quite been my thing. I guess it's a good thing my wife is a great sculptor.

I have about forty-five minutes before my next class, so I decide to use that time to tidy things up a little bit. You wouldn't think that a bunch of artists or art students could make a big mess, but if you don't keep on top of things it can really become a little chaotic.

I start off my cleaning by first sweeping up all the rooms and then going through them with a mop. Harper has a little bit of a dust allergy, so I always make sure I do the jobs that involve dust of any kind. I hate to have to watch her suffer through her allergies when I can easily do it myself. So, after I sweep and mop, I go around all the rooms and make sure to dust all the nooks and crannies. Artwork never looks its best when there is a film of dust on it anyway.

I am just washing off some of the glass display case windows when I hear Harper come in the front door. She had a doctor's appointment this morning for her yearly physical. I finish off the window I am working on and then toss the rag I was using into a pile of dirty rags.

"How was your appointment?" I ask my wife as I give her a quick peck on the lips. Harper just giggles and then motions for me to follow her. I do so, with a suspicious look on my face.

"What's going on, babe?" I ask Harper once she stops walking. She has led me to our shared office space in the Studio. I'm a bit worried but, when Harper turns around with a huge smile on her face, some of my anxiety diminishes.

"Well, Phoenix, I found something out at the doctors' today." Harper tells me, taking my hand in hers.

"Is it good or bad?" I ask her, squeezing her hand.

"It's good," She replies. I motion with my hand for her to go ahead and tell me her news. "Well, Phoenix, you're going to be a daddy." She tells me. What? Did I just hear her right?

"Wha-huh?" I say, quite unintelligibly. Harper, of course, just giggles at me.

"I'm pregnant," She replies, closing the small gap between us. I cannot help the chuckled that comes out of my mouth as I wrap my wife into my arms.

"We're going to have a baby," I say, a huge smile spreading across my face and some happy tears forming at the back of my eyes.

"We're going to have a baby," Harper repeats, laughing and crying at the same time.

"We're going to have to get everyone together so we can tell them all." I say, kissing Harper's lips tenderly.

"Well, your parents and aunts and uncles are coming up to the Capitol next weekend. You could call your siblings and have them come, too, and Liam and Destiny, too. We can make a family event out of it." Harper replies.

"Yeah, we'll have to have your parents and your brothers come up, too." I say.

"I can't wait to tell everyone," Harper responds.

"This is going to be an amazing journey," I tell Harper, kissing her lips once again.

_*The Next Weekend*_

Mom hugs me so tightly I swear she's going to break a few ribs or something. But, I put up with it because she hasn't seen me or any of us really, for at least six months. We've all been pretty busy with, well, life. I've actually been feeling kind of bad that I hadn't seen my parents for a while.

"I'm so glad you guys could come visit." I tell mom as she lets me go.

"I'm glad, too, especially after Harper told me that you invited everyone else and that you guys had some news." My mom and Harper have regular phone conversations. I can tell that mom has an idea of what our news is, but isn't saying anything for our sakes.

I watch as my family mingles amongst itself. It really is nice to see my entire family again. It has been way too long since I made a trip out to District 12. Maybe we'll do that for Christmas this year . . .

"Attention everybody, Harper and I would like to make an announcement." I say loud enough for everyone to hear. Since we're just in the art gallery, it's not a very large space so everyone can hear my easily. "Do you want to tell them or should I?" I ask Harper quietly.

"You do it," She tells me with a smile.

"Well, everyone, Harper and I just found out last week that we're going to be having a baby," I say. The family instantly starts clapping. Mom and Linda, Harper's mom, look like they're about to start crying. My eyes scan the room, taking in the reactions of my family. My eyes fall on Ivy, who looks . . . mortified? She turns around and head out the door of the Studio. I tell Harper I'll be right back and then head out after Ivy. Outside, Ivy is sitting on the bench outside of the Studio. It looks like Alex is trying to comfort her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask as I walk up to them. Ivy just turns her head away from me. She must be crying. Alex just kind of has this sad look on his face. I decide to take a seat and press for the information. If it's bad enough to make my twin sister cry, I think I need to know about it.

"Ivy, tell me what's wrong." I say as I slide next to Ivy on the bench. She just shakes her head in response, still hiding her face from me. "Ivy, come on, tell me. I'm sure whatever it is, it's not that bad." I tell her.

"I can't have kids," Ivy mumbles in response. What?

"What do you mean?" I ask her, hoping I don't sound too pressuring.

"I can't have babies. My damn tubes are all blocked up and I can't conceive a baby!" Ivy is practically shouting by the end. She makes a horrible choking sound before she just starts sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," I say as I pull my sister into my arms.

"The doctor says there's no chance I'll be able to conceive naturally, but there's a small chance if I do in-vitro fertilization." She tells me, her sobs subsiding for the moment.

"You two should try it," I reply.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix. I didn't mean to totally ruin yours and Harper's moment." Ivy says, pulling out of my embrace and wiping tears from her cheeks.

"You didn't ruin anything." I tell her. "I'm glad you told me, though. If there's anything Harper and I can do for you, let us know, alright?" I ask.

"Okay," Ivy tells me, giving me another quick hug. Alex takes her under his arm and they head back into the Studio. Before I head back inside, I silently pray to the heavens that in-vitro fertilization works. Ivy and Alex deserve to be parents.

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**Yay? Nay? The next generation of Mellarks is on the way! Whoo! So, now things are going to start becoming split between all the characters again. They're all going to have their own separate stuff they'll be going through (Anyone have any guesses?). I'm hoping you can't predict EVERYTHING I'm going to be happening, that would just be a drag. Well, thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review! Now, I really need to go study!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, Everybody! This is your chapter for the day! Again, I am procrastinating on studying, but this time it's just for algebra two. I have like a 142% in that class from all the extra credit he's been giving us. Tomorrow is our first test and it's on chapter one so I really am not that worried. But I have to do well because my algebra two teacher kind of scares me . . . Yeah, I'm a wimp. Alright, well, I'm done annoying you. Read on! **

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Chapter Nine

Ivy Mellark's POV

"We have to tell them," I whisper to Alex as we enter my brother's studio.

"Are you sure you want to?" Alex asks me, rubbing my arm soothingly with his hand.

"Yes. They should know. I mean, we're an honest family. I know they'll be supportive." I reply, leaning into Alex's warm embrace. It's true. I know that my mom wasn't able to have any more children after Lilac and Finn were born and I've been quite anxious to talk to her about this. I just didn't want to do it over the phone. This isn't the thing you tell someone, especially your mother, over the phone.

"Excuse me, um, we have something to say, too." I say, getting the attention of everyone in the room. It's pretty obvious that they think we're going to say that we are pregnant, too. Mom and dad look so happy that I almost decide to not say anything after all. No, I need to tell them. It is better they hear it now and from me rather than later and from someone else.

"Well, we. . . Alex and I just recently found out that . . . that we have very low chances of conceiving a baby naturally." I stammer out. I watch as practically everyone's previously joyous faces fall. I can even see the glint of tears in my mom's eyes. There, of course, is an awkward silence until Finn jumps in and suggests we all go off and play a game of charades or something.

While everyone, including Alex, heads off after Finn, mom goes against the flow and walks over to me. She doesn't say a thing. She just instantly wraps her arms around me and pulls me into her arms. This, of course, starts my waterworks yet again. I swear all I've done this past week is cry.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Mom says as she rubs my back. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you."

"I just don't understand why this has to happen to us," I whimper into mom's shoulder.

"Did the doctor tell you why you can't conceive?" Mom asks me.

"Yeah," I reply. "There's scar tissue from when I got shot in my left fallopian tube and that's preventing any of the eggs to travel to my uterus from that side." I say. It had taken me almost an hour to convince mom she didn't need to come all the way out to the Capitol after I had gotten shot. "And then, in my other fallopian tube, I have endometriosis. So, uterine cells grew in my fallopian tube and that's causing the other blockage." I explain. It quite is the double whammy.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I wish this hadn't happened to you." Mom says, pulling me to her tightly again.

"I feel really bad because I know how bad Alex wants kids." I admit.

"Oh, sweetheart, Alex loves you and I am sure he completely understands. Plus, you have options. There's in-vitro fertilization and even adoption. You two will get your babies." Mom encourages me.

"I know. I know. Alex told me basically the same thing. I just . . . I feel like he's being so strong about this whole thing and I'm just falling apart left and right." I say.

"Sweetheart, being emotional is normal. I'm sure Alex is just trying to be strong for you. Boys are kind of weird like that." Mom replies and I chuckle. She is right about boys being weird.

"He's been so great through all this. I really do love him." I say, smiling as I think of my husband.

"And it's obvious that he really loves you. You two are perfect for each other." Mom tells me.

"Just like you and dad," I reply with a smile. Mom and dad just celebrated their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary shortly before Alex and I got married.

"Yes," Mom says. "And, just like me and your father, you and Alex will have your happily ever after. It might take a little longer than you both expected, but it will happen eventually. It always does."

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"How are you doing?" Dad asks me as he ambles over to me. I can tell that mom sent him over here by the way she is anxiously watching us.

"I've been better," I tell him, not looking him in the eye. If I look at him, I'll have to tell him the truth. And if I tell him the truth, there is about a 99.9% of a chance I will just break down right here. I've been staying as strong as I can this last week, for Ivy's sake. She's just been heartbroken over the news. I've had to hold her while she cries at night for most of the week. It's hard, but I have to be strong for her. I'm her rock.

Dad taps my shoulder and then starts walking away, in the direction of one of the art class's rooms. I look over at the rest of the family. They are all engrossed in the game of charades Finn started, so I decide to head off with dad. It's pretty obvious he wants to talk in private.

"Alright, now tell me how you are really doing." Dad says with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Our eyes lock.

"Bad," I choke out as I close my eyes, feeling the sting of tears developing behind them. I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to keep the tears from coming.

"Son, it is okay to be upset." Dad tells me as he walks closer to me.

"I just . . . I have to be strong for Ivy. She . . . she really needs me to be strong. She's just been so . . . so emotional lately." I reply, a few tears escaping my tear ducts and rolling down my cheeks.

"Son, she would understand it if you were upset. You've both just heard some very hard news. It's okay to be emotional." Dad tells me, pulling me in for a hug.

"I just . . . this was the last thing I was expecting. I thought that maybe it would be hard for us to get pregnant, but I didn't think it would be impossible." I say as I let more tears fall down my cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay, son. There are still some things you two can try. You'll be okay." Dad replies. I nod as I pull away from him, wiping my eyes and cheeks.

"I . . . It's just not fair. She's been through enough already and . . . and now this? How is that fair?" I ramble.

"It's not fair, Alex, but it is reality. It'll be hard, but you'll get through it. You know your mom and I are always here for you. And you have the rest of the family. Everything will be okay." Dad encourages me.

"What if we can't get pregnant?" I ask him quietly, averting his gaze.

"Well, then you make a decision. And I would hope that that decision would be to adopt a baby or even an older child. I know that you and Ivy are going to make great parents and any child would be lucky to have you as a parent.

"Hey, your mom and I wouldn't have been lucky enough to raise you if we hadn't adopted you. Adoption is a wonderful thing. I really hope you guys consider it." Dad says.

"Thanks, dad," I say as I give him a "man-hug".

"You're welcome, kiddo. Keep your chin up." Dad tells me, using his fist to bump up my chin. He claps me on the back and then we both head back to the family gathering.

I can't help but think as I wrap my arm around Ivy. Maybe we should adopt. Dad was right when he said that it's a great thing. I would view any child as my own if I could call them that. Just like what my parents did. Even if we got the chance to maybe have a baby, I think I would still like to adopt. We could adopt maybe an older child. Most of the time, older children are overlooked because couples want babies. There are a lot of children out there that just want someone to love and care for them. Ivy and I could do it. Adoption is always an option.

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**I agree with that last phrase one hundred and five percent. Whether you're having a baby you don't want or you want a baby you can't have, adoption is always an option! I honestly hadn't thought too much about adoption for Ivy and Alex . . . Now I am! Time to add a character to my story! LOL! Well, thanks so much for reading and be sure to give me some feedback in the form of a review! They're always much appreciated. Also, Thursday, I have no tennis practice so I'll be able to maybe get a few chapters in! Depending on how much homework I have, of course. Thanks again for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, Everybody! LOOK! A chapter! And I didn't even have to not study for anything to write it! (That's a lie LOL). Well, go ahead, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Ten

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Finn, it's time to wake up," I hear the sweet, melodic voice of my girlfriend, Summer, say to me. I can tell that the sun is streaming into our little bungalow and I screw my eyes tighter, not ready to greet the day just yet.

"Finn, you need to get up," Summer repeats. This time, I feel her gentle lips press a kiss to my bare chest. The corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. I grope out blindly for her and then pull her body to mine.

"Finn, seriously, you're going to make us late for training," Summer says, a hint of a giggle in her voice. I keep my eyes and then blindly flip us over, so I am hovering above Summer. Finally, I open my eyes and am met with her gorgeous turquoise orbs.

"Finn, we really need to get going," Summer tells me. It's obvious she's trying to deter me from what I am thinking we should do. I lean my head down just far enough to gently brush my lips against hers.

"Good morning," I say with a smile after our kiss. I jump out of bed, pulling on a pair of shorts that were lying on the floor. I move into the kitchen, which is just a short walk from our bedroom. There isn't a whole lot of room in our little bungalow, but it's right on the water and Summer and I barely ever spend anytime inside anyway.

Summer and I eat a quick breakfast of toast and pineapple slices before getting ready to go to training. Five days of the week we spend in the gym training hard for coming up meets and, ultimately, the Olympic games. Summer and I usually spend the other two days leisurely swimming or sometimes even surfing. As long as we can do it together, we're good.

Once we're at the gym, Coach Scott, who has been training us both since our first Olympics, tells us to do weight training first. So, Summer and I take turns bench pressing, squatting, and doing free weights. Having good arm muscle is important in swimming. It helps you in propelling yourself forward.

After doing all of our weight lifting, coach sends us off to do a five mile run on the beach. I don't enjoy running that much and I absolutely loath running on sand, but I do enjoy getting to be so close to the ocean. There's just something about the ocean that make me feel energized and powerful.

After our run, Summer and I get to break for forty-five minutes for lunch and to just sit down and rest. We eat lunch together in the cafeteria of the gym, neither of us really wanting to go back out into the humidity that is outside. I love living in District Four, but it's usually humid any time of year. I'm not used to it being eighty degrees and humid at the end of November.

"Do you think he'll actually let us get in the water now?" Summer asks as we finish our lunch. It's always a big joke between us because we spend more time doing other things than we do swimming most of the time.

"Well, we'll have to wait an hour for our food to digest before we can get in the water. We wouldn't want to risk cramping, now would we?" I reply with a smirk. And, as we figured, coach decides to go over swimming strategies and exactly what we're both doing wrong. Really, we're so good at this that anyone else wouldn't see any flaws, but coach has to have something to correct us on.

Finally, after coach talks at us for what seems like five hours, Summer and I get to go into the water. We do a couple of warm up laps together and then coach has us compete against each other in every event, regardless if we'll be performing them or not. As we swim, coach constantly yells at us and tells us what we're doing wrong. I'm sure most people think he's a mean coach, but I know that he does care about us. He just wants us to do as well as he knows we can.

So, for the next four hours, Summer and I swim as hard as we can. Coach is always telling us that we should be able to win at these events with our eyes closed. So, we do them so many times I'll probably be doing them in my coffin. It's just preparing us for what is sure to be the toughest Olympics yet. He's just building champions.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"I'll see you tonight," Ash tells me before giving me a quick kiss and then heading out the door. This morning, he has a recording session for the newest song he's written. Ash always writes the most amazing songs, especially his love songs. Most of the songs I perform are written by him. He's a musical genius.

After Ash has left, I go through our small apartment, doing some quick cleaning. I don't really like cleaning, but I know that Ash is kind of a neat-freak. So, I do my best to keep our apartment in order. Once I have finished cleaning up, I decide to check out the calendar. Ash and I keep all of our appointments and other things written on the calendar so that we can keep on top of everything.

As I am looking over the calendar, I notice something peculiar. Today is November 30th. I haven't gotten my period yet this month and it usually comes around the 15th. I'm over two weeks later. Oh . . . crap! I quickly throw on some presentable clothes and grab my purse. I run down the block to a corner drugstore and purchase and early pregnancy test Of course, the cashier just had to give me a look.

Back at home, I read the instructions and then take the test. The five minutes it takes the test to analyze my results is completely agonizing. I can't be pregnant! Ash and I are always careful. This doesn't make any sense!

We're not ready to have a baby! We're not even married or engaged! Who knows if we'll even stay together forever?! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love him more than anything in the world but . . . but a baby?

I don't even know if I'm ready myself. I'm not like Ivy. I don't have everything figured out yet. I never even thought about having kids! Ash and I aren't even married! You're not supposed to have kids until you're married!

Oh . . . what is dad going to think when I tell him I'm pregnant? Surely, he'll kill Ash. Ash will be dead before he even knows what hit him. I can't tell my parents I'm pregnant out of wedlock . . . I just . . . I just can't!

Finally, the timer I set goes off. I pick the test up but, before looking at the results, I look at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair is disheveled. My grey eyes are wide in worry and shock. I am wearing a baggy sweatshirt. One of Ash's I think. My chest is rising and falling quickly. I squeeze my eyes shut. I take one more ragged breath before looking down at the test. Two pinks lines; I, Lilac Mellark, am pregnant.

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**DUN DUN DUN! Well, did anyone see that one coming? Huh? Did ya? Did ya? Did ya!? I'm hoping you weren't! I like surprising you guys! :D Anyhow, thanks so much for reading! Please leave me a review! :D  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, Everybody! I am so sorry I havent updated in a few days! And I totally left you guys on a cliffhanger! School and my social life have been becoming increasingly demanding! And i had to start working on my next chapter for my 24-24 collaboration (Which you guys should read. Title is "This is War". Alexander Cole will be a tribute for District 9. Go read it and support him so he'll win!). So, without further ado, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Eleven

Lilac Mellark's POV

What am I supposed to do? Ash and I aren't married. I don't even know if he wants kids! Oh, what if I tell him and he decides to break up with me because he doesn't want kids? I don't think I can handle that kind of rejection. I can't tell him, at least not until I decide what I am going to do. I am either going to keep the baby or I am going to have to have it taken care of somehow.

I can't believe I let this happen! Ash and I are always careful! How could we have slipped up like this? We both know that neither of us is ready to raise a baby. We're not like Alex and Ivy or Phoenix and Harper. We're still trying to live freely, at least for a few more years.

I decide that I really, _really_ need to talk to Ivy about this. Maybe she can help me make sense of all this. Worse comes to worse, at least she'll know somewhere where I can get the baby taken care of. If there's one person I trust to talk to about this, it's my big sister.

Ten minutes later and I am walking up to the emergency room of Panem University Teaching Hospital, where my sister, Ivy Abernathy, is a second year resident. Ivy is probably the smartest person I have ever or will ever meet. It amazes me every day how smart she is and how much she loves her job.

"Hi, is Dr. Abernathy available?" I ask the nurse behind the front desk.

"Yes. She's in her office. Would you like me to page her for you?" The nurse asks.

"That would be wonderful," I reply, forcing a smile onto my face. Just because my entire life is changing doesn't mean I can be rude. I go to take a seat in one of the hard, plastic chairs in the waiting room and, a few seconds later, I hear the nurse I talked to page my sister over the intercom system in the ER.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I hear Ivy ask about two minutes later. She is wearing blue scrubs and her hair is up in a ponytail. She looks like she's been working all night and is only surviving by means of a lot of caffeine.

"Oh, well, I was hoping that maybe we could get some lunch and talk." I reply, trying to sound normal. There is a flicker in Ivy's eyes that tells me she knows something must be wrong. I've never come to visit her at work before so of course she knows something is wrong.

"Yeah, of course we can. There's a diner right across the street." Ivy says, gesturing me to follow her. Outside, the chilly autumn breeze makes me shiver. I have no idea how Ivy can just walk around in short sleeved scrubs.

"So, what's up?" Ivy asks me after we've both ordered some food at the diner. It's a nice, quaint little place. They didn't have a terribly variety of dishes so I just ordered a small salad. I doubt I'd be able to eat right now anyway.

"Well . . . this is kind of a hard thing just to bring up." I admit, averting my eyes from Ivy's.

"Lilac, I'm your big sister, you can tell me anything." Ivy tells me. I nod for a minute before replying.

"Well, this morning I noticed that I was a few weeks late for my period. So, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive." I say quietly.

"Lilac, that's great!" Ivy replies. I can hear genuine happiness in her voice, but I fear that Ivy will be slightly begrudging. After all, Ivy is more suited to be a mother than I am and yet she is having this great difficulty to have a baby of her own.

"I just . . . I don't know what to do Ivy." I admit, biting the inside of my cheek.

"What do you mean?" Ivy asks me, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't . . . I don't know if I should keep the baby . . ." I reply. Something changes in Ivy's eyes as she opens and closes her mouth, not sure how to respond to my words.

"Lilac, I know this wasn't planned, but are you seriously considering getting an abortion?" Ivy asks me, but doesn't give me a chance to reply before she continues. "Lilac, do you have any idea how many people would kill to pregnant like you? A baby is the greatest blessing anyone could ever ask for and you're just going to toss it aside like it means nothing to you?" Ivy is practically shouting as she ends her rant.

"Ivy, you don't understand," I say. "What if Ash doesn't even want kids?"

"If Ash doesn't want to kids with you that you're just wasting your time together." Ivy replies.

"We're not like you and Alex, Ivy! We're still young. We're not ready to have baby." I snap back.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you had sex. You were irresponsible and stupid." Ivy spits at me. There is something about the look in her eyes and her calm anger that actually makes me start to feel guilty. Here I am contemplating killing my unborn child while my sister probably will never get to be pregnant. If there is one person on the face of the earth that deserves to be a mother, it's Ivy.

"I'm sorry. You're right," I admit, looking into my sister's eyes. "I'm just afraid; afraid of how Ash will react, afraid that I won't be a good mother, afraid that I'll mess everything up."

"I can understand that, Lilac, but before you make any rash decisions I think you need to tell Ash. The two of you need to discuss having this baby and how it will impact you both for the rest of your lives. I have no doubts that you two will be able to raise this baby well, but you both need to be on the same page. You need to support each other, in everything." Ivy tells me, squeezing my hand to show she supports me fully.

"Thank you so much," I say, getting up to give my big sister a hug. "I really hope you and Alex can get pregnant. You would make such a wonderful mother."

"I hope so, too." Ivy replies. We eat our lunches together and then Ivy has to get back to work. On my walk home, I decide that I need to tell Ash and that I need to do that right now. So, I cut across a street quickly and head in the direction of our music studio.

"Is Ash busy right now?" I ask one of the recording technicians as I walk into the recording studio that Ash and I share.

"Nope, he's taking a ten minute break." The tech replies.

"Good," I say as I head to the lounge where all the musicians take their breaks.

"Ash, I need to talk to you," I tell my long term boyfriend when I see that there is no one else in the lounge.

"What's up, babe?" He asks. I flinch at the normal term of endearment. All of a sudden, it means something completely different.

"Well, Ash, there isn't an easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out. I'm pregnant." I tell him, eyes trained on a spot on the floor, dreading his reaction to this news.

"Pregnant?" Ash half asks, half says in amazement. I look up to see a look of awe in his eyes and a smile creeping onto his face.

"You're not mad?" I ask him, gulping.

"Of course I'm not mad! Why would I be mad? This is absolutely wonderful!" Ash exclaims, giving me a rough kiss. "This is amazing; A baby!"

"So you want to keep it?" I ask him tentatively.

"Lilac, of course I want to keep it! You and I made a baby! We're going to have a baby. Do you even realize how awesome this is?" Ash replies, kissing my lips again.

"I was just afraid you didn't want kids," I admit, feeling very, very foolish.

"Lilac, I love you. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't want this baby. But it's you, the love of my life, and I can't wait until we meet our first child." Ash tells me, kissing my lips for the third time since he got the news. I smile as he gives me a tight hug. I guess I wasn't thinking rationally. I'm glad Ash wants this baby because I don't think I could imagine my life without it now.

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**I hope that was okay! I'd love to write you guys more right now but i have to continue work on my 24-24 collab chapter. I'm only like 1/10 if the way done, maybe. And it's due friday . . . I'll definitely need an extension. Things coming up include: Everyone learning Lilac and Ash are going to have baby and some Ivy and Alex drama. This week looks like it will be slightly hectic between school (I have two papers to start working on and at least two tests already, not counting any surprise quizzes) tennis (two matches, one of them away, and practice as usual), and writing my 24-24 collaboration chapter (I have the chariot rides chapter and I have to describe everyone's costumes and demeanor in detail, not to mention my own tributes thoughts. I still have no idea what he'll be wearing. Suggestions are welcome if you have any. For this story, District 9 supplies electricity to the Capitol). Thanks for your continued support! I really love you guys! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review.  
**

**P.S. This is kind of irrelevant but I applied for a job at PartyCity today and I really really really hope I get the job!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, Everybody! Once again, I am so so so so so so sorry! Everything has just been so crazy and I'm a bit stressed out lately. Tennis is ending soon though so hopefully I'll be able to write more (if, when I get a job, my hours aren't horrible). I'll do my very very very best to keep things moving for you guys. I do feel really bad! This collaboration story thing is a lot harder than I though It would be. I'm not even half way down with my Capitol Chapter. Anyhow, Read on, my lovelies! **

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Chapter Twelve

Ivy Abernathy's POV

Alex and I walk off the elevator together, hand in hand. Today is our first attempt at in-vitro fertilization. For the last few weeks, ever since Phoenix and Harper announced that they were pregnant, I have been preparing for this day. I have been injecting hormones and getting tests done about every three days.

Last week, Alex and I came in so that the doctors could remove the mature eggs from my ovaries and obtain a semen sample from Alex. That night had been quite unpleasant on my part, as I was suffering from some cramps brought on by the procedure. Then, Alex and I waited for the phone call that would tell us whether or not the eggs had been successfully fertilized.

I don't think I'll ever be able to forget how I felt when we got the call from the doctor that the eggs had been successfully fertilized and we could actually do the implantation procedure in just a few days. As soon as I hung up the phone, I went absolutely bonkers! Alex thought I was crazy until I calmed down enough to tell him what the doctor had told me. Then, of course, he went totally bonkers, too. That was an amazing night for us.

And, here we are today! I haven't been able to keep the smile off my face since four days ago, which is when the doctor called to tell me the eggs had been successfully fertilized. Everyone has been asking me why I look so happy. I figured that they would, especially since I haven't been the most upbeat person since I found out I wouldn't be able to conceive naturally.

The only people I have told about the in-vitro fertilization are my siblings and my parents and Alex's parents. They are the most important people to both of us. I was glad I got to tell all my siblings in person. We had a big dinner for us and our significant others. Everyone, of course, was ecstatic and so happy for us. As were my mom, dad, Effie, and Haymitch, who we had to over webcam since we weren't able to go and visit them like we would have liked to.

"I love you," Alex says as kisses the top of my head and squeezes my hand tighter.

"I love you, too." I reply, leaning into his side. Alex has just been a complete angel through this whole thing. He's been taking care of me ever since we found out about our situation. He's always making sure I eat and take care of myself. He's come visit me on his lunch break on various occasions. He's just been so wonderful to me. I have no idea what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband.

"Good morning," Dr. Styles says as we follow him into the procedure room. He starts explaining the procedure to us once more. Really, I think it's more for Alex since Dr. Styles knows I know all about it, not to mention I've read every internet article on it in the last couple of weeks. Alex listens intently as I let my mind wonder.

This is the point where I realize how . . . nervous I am about this whole thing. When I found out I couldn't conceive naturally, I thought I would never be able to have babies. That thought had just put me into such a depression. I had always wanted kids and I really knew how much Alex wanted and deserved to have his own babies. He really is going to be a wonderful father, of that I am completely certain.

I change into a hospital gown and Dr. Styles has me lie back onto the cold procedure chair. My legs are put in some stirrups, with the assistance of a nurse, and I am prepped for the procedure. I reach out for Alex's hand and clutch to it for the next twenty minutes, which is the length of the procedure.

Once he has finished, Dr. Styles instructs me I need to stay in a lying down position for the next hour. He then informs me of everything I need to know. I will have to continue my injections, but with a different hormone this time. We schedule an appointment for two weeks from now, which is when my blood will be drawn for a pregnancy test. Our odds are good since Alex and I are both young and we decided that we wanted to implant five embryos to add to our chances of conceiving.

After the hour, Alex and I are free to leave and do so, heading back to our apartment that is just five minutes down the road. Alex and I have actually also started looking for a house to buy in near-lying suburbs. We both agreed we don't want to be too far from work, but we don't want to live in the city either. We've narrowed our options down to a specific suburb that has a park and a school that we like, but we still have to pick and purchase a house that we both like.

"I hope that we have a baby boy and I hope he has your eyes," I tell Alex as we lay together on our couch, my body lying on top of his with his arms wrapped around me.

"I think we should have a girl and I think that she should have your hair," Alex tells me as he runs his delicate fingers through my silky, brown hair.

"Alex, thank you for being so supportive," I say, barely above a whisper. I don't nearly thank him enough for everything he's done for me.

"You don't have to thank me. I love, Ivy. This is what you do when you love someone. You preserve, through thick and thin." Alex tells me, his fingers still playing with my hair. I am definitely one lucky woman.

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I lie in the dim moonlight of the night, watching Alex's sleeping figure. It's three o'clock in the morning, the morning of the day Alex and I find out whether or not we are pregnant. I haven't been able to sleep at all tonight. I gave it a fair shot, but I just kept tossing and turning. I gave up about an hour ago, fearing I would wake Alex up.

I don't mind being awake. I don't feel tired and I actually like watching Alex when he sleeps. There is just something about watching such an intelligent and physically strong man become extremely vulnerable that is kind of interesting. Alex is the most at peace when he is asleep. It's the only rest most of his brain gets all day.

I run the tips of my fingers very gently against Alex's cheek. He smiles at my touch and I feel my heart leap. Only Alex could ever make me feel this way. He's the only man I've ever loved. I may have felt like I was in love before, but this is definitely the real deal. Some people can only dream about the love Alex and I have.

By the time sunlight is pouring into the apartment from the windows, I have managed to snuggle up to Alex, with his arm around me, and I am drawing on his chest with my index finger. There is a shift in his breathing and I can tell he has woken up. I plant a soft kiss on his bare chest and look up to his face.

"Good morning," He says through sleepy eyes. It should be illegal for someone to look as sexy as Alex does right when he wakes up in the morning.

"Good morning; Today is the day!" I say with a smile, kissing Alex's lips.

"Today is the day," He repeats softly, his blue-grey eyes locked with mine.

Since our appointment is not until nine and it is still only seven in the morning, Alex and I decide to get dressed and then stop at a small diner down the block for a quick breakfast. Going out to breakfast together, or any meal, has been something that has happened few times and far in between ever since Alex and I started our careers. We spend so much time at work and apart that, when we finally have time off and can be alone together, we just want to spend that time at home and in the comfort of our apartment.

"This is it," Alex tells me, kissing my knuckles as we wait nervously in the waiting room for our test results. After breakfast, Alex and I came here and the nurse drew my blood to get the tests going. They were putting the results on a rush status, mainly because I work here and everyone knows me and wants to know as badly as I do.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy, your test results show that the procedure was not a success." Dr. Styles tells us and I feel my heart drop. Alex squeezes my hand encouragingly as Dr. Styles continues to speak. "I'm going to put you back on the hormones for about two months and then we'll repeat the procedure again. Hopefully we'll have some success then." I nod at the doctor's words and then Alex and I leave. Alex never lets go of my hand until we get home, which is when he pulls me into his arms for a tight hug.

"We'll try again, baby, alright? Everything will be fine. It was just our first try. It'll happen, I promise you." Alex tells me, hugging me tightly to his body and pressing his lips against my hair. I nod into his chest, completely trusting my husband.

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**One should not feel the kind of love I feel for my own fictional characters. Really, I wish Alexander Abernathy really existed. I would marry him in a heart beat. He wouldn't even get a choice. It's sad, because I kind of wish someone would make a movie out of my fanfictions because I would just love to see the love between all my characters! Wouldn't it be such a great movie or tv show? with all my twists and turns? Yes! :D Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review! Stay lovely!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter! I hope you like this one! I'm procrastinating my homework to give it to you! Read on, lovelies!  
**

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Chapter Thirteen

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Babe, you need to just relax." Ash tells me, patting my knee as the train finally starts to move. We're already about twenty minutes off schedule now. It's the night before Christmas Eve and we – my siblings, Harper, Summer, Liam, Destiny, Ash, Alex, and I – are all heading back to District 12 for the holiday.

"He's going to blow up and then kill you," I reply. Tonight, Ash and I are going to tell my parents that I am pregnant. I can just picture my father vaulting over the kitchen table and strangling Ash today.

I am almost two months into my pregnancy. I had been very surprised when the doctor told me I was about a month pregnant when Ash and I went for our first ultrasound appointment. Seeing my baby and hearing its tiny heartbeat for the first time was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my entire life. Ash and I have spent so much time just talking about baby things: names, clothes, toys, schools, everything.

I've also spent a lot of time feeling a little guilty that I have this baby and my sister can't get pregnant. I felt so sad when Ivy had told me that their first attempt at in-vitro failed. Ivy and Alex deserved to have a baby so much and it's so heartbreaking that they can't have a baby. Ivy definitely deserves to have a baby more than I do.

"Hey," Ivy says as she sits down next to me, Alex close behind her. I smile when I see that they have their fingers interlocked. Even through everything, they're still staying strong with each other. That's the kind of love that makes a good family.

"I am so nervous about telling dad," I tell her, resting my hand on my non-existent baby bump.

"It'll be fine. Dad will be shocked at first, maybe even a little angry, but he wouldn't kill Ash. He wouldn't want you to be a single mom," Ivy replies. She is kind of right. It's not like dad doesn't like Ash. He's known him since he was born.

Four the next five hours, I fluctuate between sleeping against Ash's shoulder and chatting with my sister. We haven't gotten to spend a lot of time together, even though we barely live ten minutes from each other. Between working at my own company and Ivy working through her residency, neither of us have a whole lot of free time. I'm hoping we can change that soon, especially since we'll both be having babies soon, hopefully.

When we finally arrive in District 12, we are met with our entire family. This includes my parents, Ash's parents, Alex's parents, Liam's dad, and Harper's family. It's just insane how big our family has gotten over the years. And it's only going to get bigger and bigger. Everyone, of course, has to marvel at Harper's growing baby bump. Everyone wants to rub her belly and ask her how she is. I hope they aren't this crazy when I tell them I am pregnant. I decided I want to tell mom and dad first. Ash, Phoenix, Harper, Alex, and Ivy already know, obviously. I'll have to get everyone together to make an official announcement.

We all head to my childhood home, where my dad and Aunt Effie, Alex's mom, have prepared us an immaculate dinner. If there is one thing I have missed most about living at home, it is my father's food. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've just been craving my dad's creamy, garlic mashed potatoes. Fingers crossed he made them tonight!

We all sit around the huge dining table in our huge dining room, eating and laughing and all around catching up. Phoenix and Harper tell everyone about their pregnancy so far. Ivy and Alex tell everyone that their first in-vitro attempt failed, but that they plan on trying again in February. Finn and Harper tell everyone about how their Olympic training and all their meets have been going over the last few months. Liam and Destiny talk about how things are going at the fancy engineering company they are both working for. Ash and I fill everyone in on how our music studio has been doing and about the tour Ash and I planned on doing, even though it most likely won't happen now that I am pregnant. Of course, I leave that part out of the discussion.

As the night moves on, I come to the realization that someone would have to have a heart made of stone not to be able to feel the love between everyone here. It's more than just family or romantic love. Everyone here genuinely cares about everyone else. We would all do everything we could to keep each other healthy and happy. All the couples are sitting together: Mom and dad, Aunt Effie and Uncle Haymitch, Johanna and Nash (Ash's parents), Phoenix and Harper, Liam and Destiny, Finn and Summer, Alex and Ivy, and Ash and I. It's really amazing that we have all found the love of our lives.

Ten years ago, if you told me I would be pregnant with Ash Hemlock's baby I would have told you that you were mentally insane. And yet, here we are, pregnant and actually talking about marriage. Really, I don't think any of us expected to be in the relationships we are today. About six years ago, Liam was convinced he was in love with me. We had a huge fallout and now we're friends and he's in a happy relationship with Destiny.

I don't think I could imagine my life any different than it is now, though. It didn't turn out the way I initially expected, but I feel like it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. Ash makes me incredibly happy and he's so perfect to me. We barely ever fight and even then, it's only about stupid little things that all normal couples bicker about. We really are perfect for each other.

Once everyone heads out to the living room for dessert, I find that this is the best time we'll have to tell my parents that I am pregnant. I grab Ash and then, before he gets to dishes, grab my dad and then my mom. Ivy and Alex take over doing the dishes, telling dad that's it is only fair since he cooked the wonderful meal.

"Um, mom, dad, Ash and I have something we have to tell you." I say nervously as we all take a seat at th dining room table. Outside the dining room, I can hear our family laughing in the living room and I can hear Ivy and Alex whispering to each other in the kitchen.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Mom asks, looking concerned. It makes sense that mom would be concerned. I've never been one to bring on an awkward conversation like this before. But, this has to get done and it has to get done now, or I'll never do it.

"Well, um, I'm just going to come right out and say it." I say, deciding that is the best way to do this. "I'm pregnant," I tell them, closing my eyes as a way to brace for my parents' reactions.

After a few minutes, I open my eyes. Mom looks thoughtful, but with a ghost of a smile on her lips. She's happy. Of course she's happy. My mom can't wait to be a grandmother. Dad, on the other hand, looks a bit angry.

"Peeta, don't get angry," Mom says, taking dad's hand into hers, sensing that he might be about to get very angry. Mom has always been able to tell when dad was about to get very angry or upset about something.

"How far along are you?" Dad asks me, swallowing his anger and looking me in the eyes. I can't help the smile that forms on my lips when I see his smile and the twinkle in his eyes that means he is genuinely happy.

"About two months," I tell him.

"Congratulations," Mom and dad both tell us, giving us each tight hugs. Ash and I both decide that we just want to get over telling everyone, so we go out into the living room and make the announcement. Everyone gets very excited and starts hugging us. Ash's parents both look a bit misty eyed, as do both of my parents now. Things are changing. We are no longer the little kids our parents raised. We are adults.

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**They're adults! Can you believe it? Doesn't seem like just yesterday when they were itty bitty babies?! They grow up so fast! I hope you liked this chapter! More to come soon I hope. Gotta go do homework now! Thanks for reading and please leave me reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, Everybody! Here's your next chapter! Sorry I haven't been publishing enough as you and I would both like. Junior year is really kicking my butt and I really need to make sure I don't screw up. Hopefully, I'll be able to update more regularly as tennis ends on Tuesday and I still don't have a job. Once I get a job, things will become slightly sporadic again. Even if I don't update a lot, I have in no way given up. This is the last story for this series and I will write it! Now, read on!  
**

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Chapter Fourteen

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Oh, it is so nice to have my baby home." Mom exclaims as she hugs me with a death grip. "And it's so wonderful to have you here, too, Ivy." Mom says, pulling Ivy into a hug.

"It's great to be here, Effie." Ivy replies. It really is great to be back in District 12. Ivy and I have been really missing our family, especially since we've been going through our infertility.

"How have you two been?" Mom asks as she shuffles us all into the living room. I glance over at Ivy. We didn't tell anyone back here in District Twelve that we tried in-vitro and that it failed. "What's wrong?" Mom presses, sensing the worry on both mine and Ivy's faces.

"About two weeks ago, Ivy and I tried in-vitro fertilization," I begin. I see both mom and dad's eyes light up, which just makes me feel worse about I have to tell them now. "It failed." I say simply. The last thing I want to do right now is make Ivy upset, which is exactly what will happen if we go into any more detail about this.

"I'm sorry," Mom replies, reaching over and squeezing Ivy's hand.

"We're going to try again in a few weeks." Ivy says. "I guess it's just . . . hard."

"I understand, sweetheart." Mom says. "I'm sure everything is going to work out in the end."

"We hope so," I reply, taking Ivy's other hand in mine.

"Why don't you two head upstairs to get some sleep; it's been a long day." Dad suggests. Ivy and I both agree that that sounds good and head upstairs after giving my mom and dad a hug.

"Do you feel weird?" I ask Ivy as we lie together in my childhood bed.

"A little bit," Ivy replies. I watch as a mischievous smile forms on my wife's face. I am about to ask her what she is thinking when she presses her lips against mine in a passionate kiss. I kiss her back, smiling into our embrace.

"I love you," I whisper to her as she breaks our kiss as she moves to my neck.

"I love you, too." She replies, nibbling on my neck. This woman is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me. I flip us over so I am hovering over her and continue our kissing. Her fingers run through my hair and over my scalp, emitting a moan from my throat. Ivy's hands trail over my shirt, tugging on the hem of it. Her message is clear: She wants it off. We break away for a moment, just to pull our shirts off, and we're back to kissing each other senseless.

Ivy unbuttons my jeans and then pushes them past my waist, along with my boxers. I run my hands along Ivy's thighs, teasing her as our tongues duel for dominance. Ivy's hips buck up to meet mine and I can't help but grin into our kiss.

"You are such a tease," She breathes heavily, clearly frustrated. I unzip her pants and pull them, and her underwear, down.

"Better?" I ask her, moving my kisses down to her neck.

"Much," She replies. I kiss down Ivy's body and then back up again. Our lips meet as I enter Ivy. We move together, our soft moans filling the room.

"Alex," Ivy moans, her breath hitching as she reaches her peak. I follow soon after her before dropping beside her, fully spent.

"Okay, now I feel really weird," I chuckle as Ivy snuggles up to my side.

"It could be worse. My dad could have walked in on us again." Ivy tells me, laughing back at the memory of the time her father walked in on us making out in her childhood bedroom. That moment had terrified me more than I had ever been terrified before in my life. I thought for sure that Peeta was going to kill me. Thankfully, he didn't and he even let me marry his daughter a few years later.

Ivy had never looked more beautiful than she did the night of our wedding. Her wedding gown had been magnificent and she had looked like an angel. I was afraid my heart would beat right out of my chest as I watched her walk down that aisle, Peeta walking with her. My mother, of course, was crying, but they were happy tears. The day I married Ivy Mellark will forever be the best day of my entire life.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"I can't believe you already have a baby bump," Linda, Harper's mom, says to Harper as we take a seat at the dining room table in the Anderson's home. The day Harper's baby bump started to show was just amazing. Harper threatened to divorce me if I didn't stop talking to her stomach every chance that I got.

"It's great. I just wish my husband would give me a little room to breathe." Harper replies, shooting me a pointed look. Okay, so I have been kind of hovering around Harper ever since she told me she was pregnant. What did she expect? I just want to make sure my wife and baby are okay.

"Oh, your father did the exact same thing. I swear that man didn't leave my side for an entire nine months." Linda chuckles, just as Hugh, Harper's father, walking into the dining room.

"Whatever your mother is telling you about me, it's a lie." Hugh says as he takes his seat at the head of the table.

"It is most certainly true! You followed me around like a lost puppy dog, doing nothing but worrying!" Linda replies, swatting her husband playfully.

"It's a man's responsibility to take care of his wife and children. I was just watching out for you, dear, just like Phoenix here is doing with Harper." Hugh says. Over the last couple of years, once the art studio started taking off, Harper's dad really started to warm up to me, which is nice since I was almost convinced he hated me.

Once Harper's younger brothers, Hendrix and Hector, arrived, we started eating. Linda's cooking, like always, is just incredible. Only I would be so lucky to have in-laws that love me and a mother-in-law can cook as wonderfully as Linda can. Hendrix and Hector, too, have warmed up to me and stopped most of the pranks they used to like to play on me every time Harper and I came out to District Twelve.

"Have you two decided if you're going to buy a house or stay in the apartment over the Studio yet?" Hugh asks as he cuts up his sirloin steak. Harper and I have spent a lot of time discussing this topic. Really, our apartment is big enough for us to raise a family and there is a good school and a park in the area. On the other hand, having our house would be really nice and we would have a yard for our kids to play in.

"We're still not quite sure," I answer him. It's true. We're still caught between the two great options. "I think we're going to maybe wait until we have the baby and then make the decision."

"Sounds like a good idea." Hugh replies, giving me a small smile. That fact that Harper's dad did finally warm up to me means a lot to me. I was afraid he would always view me as the teenage artist that doesn't quite know how he's going to make any money with his art. I was glad that I was accepted as part of their family and that they were considered part of the family to my side of the family; One big happy family.

"Hi, baby, it's your daddy," I say against Harper's tummy while we lie together in Harper's old bedroom upstairs.

"You are going to be such a push-over parent," Harper tells me as she runs her fingers through my brown hair.

"That's right," I reply. "Our children will get whatever they want. If it's not from us, it'll be from some other person that's a part of this crazy family." Honestly, our kids probably will end up spoiled by their grandparent and their aunts and uncles.

"There will be no shortage of love from this family," Harper tells me, smiling down at me.

"Absolutely not," I reply, leaning up to kiss the love of my life and the mother of my unborn child.

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**It wasn't very . . . entertaining, I suppose, but some interesting things will be happening soon that will surely have you sending me hate mail, possibly crying, and maybe making you jump for joy. So, you might be on an emotional rollercoaster soon. :D I hope you will all continue to read and review my story! I love you all! Thanks for reading and please review! Enough reviews might spur me on to write another chapter tonight!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, Every****body! Another chapter for today! It would have been up sooner, but I had to type up my history paper cause it's due on Tuesday. I'm kind of excited about this chapter so, Read on!**

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Chapter Fifteen

Finn Mellark's POV

The entire family is gathered around the dining table in my childhood home. Tonight is Christmas Eve and, just like every year, we are having our traditional family dinner. Everyone is here tonight, including Harper's parents and brothers. I'm actually kind of surprised that Ash isn't in the hospital or buried six feet under somewhere in the woods after getting my sister knocked up. I really thought dad would go nuts and just kill him. I guess I was wrong.

In all honesty, I knew Lilac was going to end up pregnant eventually and I'm okay with it because I know that Ash loves her more than anything else in the world. If she had been knocked up by some jerk that didn't care about my sister, than I would have killed him myself for getting her pregnant and then planning on leaving. But I know that Ash would never leave Lilac, especially with a baby on the way.

I can't help but smile as I watch both my sisters and my sister-in-law chat happily with my girlfriend, Summer, across the table as the meal carries on. It's nice to know that Summer will be accepted into the family when we eventually get married, which will happen soon, I'm hoping. In all honesty, Summer and I probably only have one more Olympics before we retire from swimming for good. After that, we'll have enough money to do whatever we wanted to. We'll probably get married on the beaches of District Four and then start an athletic training studio, which is something we'd both been dreaming of for a while now. Then, sometime after that, we'll probably start having babies of our own.

It feels kind of weird to be the only one of my siblings that isn't married or starting a family. Phoenix is married to Harper, with a baby on the way. Ivy and Alex are married and trying for a baby. Lilac and Ash are going to have a baby and will probably be married soon, too. The only ones not married or pregnant in this family are Liam and Destiny, and who knows how much longer until they get married or end up pregnant. I feel like I'm so far behind everybody else in the family.

I know I love Summer with all my heart and I know that I'll never want to be with another woman. I'm just afraid that if I propose too soon that I'll turn Summer off of our relationship. I don't want to scare her off by getting too serious too soon. I love her and I would be willing to wait as long as she wants to wait before we get married.

During dinner, we all catch up on what everyone has been up to in the last couple of months since we got together in the Capitol for Phoenix and Harper's announcement. Ivy and Alex tell us about their failed in-vitro fertilization attempt, which makes me feel really bad for my sister and Alex, who has been like a brother to me for most of my life. I wish they weren't having this trouble trying to start their family. They've both been through so much already.

Liam and Destiny tell us all about this big project they've been working on for the last couple months in their big Engineering company in the Capitol. Apparently, they were put in charge of the new aquatic vehicles for Panem's naval forces. This is a really big thing for engineers as young as Liam and Destiny are. They go into some detail about the vehicles and I find myself getting a bit lost during their explanations. This thing sounds really complicated and I'm pretty proud of Liam for helping to build it.

Liam and Ash have been my two best friends for our entire lives. We were all born within a span of six months. We grew up playing together in our backyards. I was the first to figure out that they both had a thing for Lilac, my twin sister who would usually hang out with us because there weren't any other girls around for her to hang out with. It was quite interesting watching both boys develop crushes on my sister and then watching as Liam and Lilac started dating, leaving Ash heartbroken.

Then, in college, after Liam and Lilac broke up, it was like someone put the life back into Ash's step. I was actually glad when Ash and Lilac got together. I always had this feeling that they should have been together from the start. Liam, at first, was quite upset over this, but he got over it when he found Destiny. Now, both of my best friends are happy and so is my sister.

After dinner, we all move into the living room to have dessert and drink coffee while we watch some classic Christmas movies on the television. Panem Network is having a special presentation of Christmas movies that people voted for. It's about halfway through _Polar Express, _which is my favorite Christmas movie, when the move is interrupted. On the screen pops up a picture of Rufus Myles, the main newscaster in the Panem; what could this possibly be about?

"Citizens of Panem, approximately thirty minutes ago, bombs were deployed over District Nine by an unknown enemy. Emergency crews are on sight now attempting to control the chaos and panic that has overcome the District. This is footage taken by a security camera in District Nine." Rufus informs us before the screen cuts to some pixelated, fuzzy footage of District Nine. For a moment, everything is peaceful, but that peace is broken by the sound of hovercrafts zooming into the District.

My heart thumps against my chest as I watch the twenty or so hovercrafts begin dropping bombs on a District that is barely a three hour train ride away. It could have been us. Summer grips my hand tightly as we watch the footage. The tension in the air is so thick. Everyone's attention is on the television screen in front of us.

The footage continues to show us the explosions and the chaos that erupts after all the bombs have been detonated and the hovercrafts have disappeared into the night sky. Who would do this? It couldn't possibly be anyone from Panem, could it? No. No one would ever do that, not after everything this country has gone through to settle the differences and arguments between all the districts. For practically the last ten years, all the districts and the Capitol have been peaceful.

This attack must have been done by outsiders. But . . . I didn't even know there were outsiders. In school, they taught us about all these different countries that used to exist and all the wars they had. They were horrible, these wars. Millions of people died in just days of war. Death tolls reached numbers unimaginable. If this attack was done by outsiders, who could have done it and why did they attack us? Panem has been nothing but peaceful in the last decade and, even before that, Panem's struggles and wars were always kept inside the confines of the country. We've never hurt anyone else.

"The Panem government and the security for defense are looking into this attack. The Armed forces are assembling for possible retaliation and or battle. Whoever dared to attack our country will pay.

"If anyone has any information on this attacked, you are asked to contact the security of defense at the number below." A number flashes across the bottom of the screen. "Also, if anyone is interested in joining the armed forces, there will soon be stations in each District to help you sign up and to direct you to the nearest training center. Thank you. I'm Rufus Myles and you're watching Panem Network Breaking News." And, with that, the screen returns to the Christmas movie, which is now reaching its end.

Everyone is silent. It's obvious that everyone is trying to take in what we have all just heard and seen. I glance up and see that Alex is holding Ivy close to his side. Lilac and Ash are sharing an embrace, as are Phoenix and Harper, one of Phoenix's hands resting on Harper's baby bump. Liam and Destiny are just both staring off into space, but they are still holding hands. I take my arm and wrap it around Summer, holding her close to me.

Mom, dad, Haymitch, Effie, Johanna, and Gale are all completely shocked, which is understandable. The country they worked so hard to turn into a Republic, the country they all fought to protect, has just come under attack by an unknown enemy. I can't even imagine what they must be thinking right now. I'm sure that, if they were all younger, they would be the first ones to volunteer for the armed forces. Well, they aren't young enough, but I am. There would be no greater honor than to fight for my country, to keep the people I love safe, no matter what the cost.

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**Dun Dun DUN! Please tell me I surprised at least one person with this chapter? I mean, did any of you expect that someone, an outside country, would attack Panem? I'm sure you all always wondered what happened to the rest of the world when Panem was built so I thought I would write my own spin on things! (And then throw Finn into the whole thing, just for fun) So, tell me what you think about this and Finn's last couple lines! Im sure you can't wait to see what happens next! *Evil smirk* Hopefully I can get you more chapters very soon! I don't want to leave you guys with this ending for too long. There's just so much that's going to start happening now, so be prepared! Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, Everybody! Look! A chapter! WHOO! Guess what! Tennis is over! It ended today! And I won my last match! :D Now, I'll hopefully have more time to write! But not until this week is over because it's homecoming week and I'm CRAZY busy! But, you should maybe get one on Thursday. Friday I have a football game and bonfire to go to and then Saturday is the dance! 3 So, maybe you'll get one on Sunday too! :D Without further ado, Read on my lovelies!  
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Chapter Sixteen

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*Three Months Later*_

"I can't believe that today is the day," I tell my wife as we walk hand in hand into the waiting room of our OB/GYN.

"You are way too excited about this," Harper says, rolling her eyes at me with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, it's not every day you learn the sex of your first child," I reply with my smirk. "This is a big thing. We get to find our whether we're having a girl or a boy. After today, we can start decorating the nursery and do baby shopping. This is exciting!"

"Yes, it is exciting, but you really are taking this to an extreme. I saw that you baked like three dozen cupcakes this morning. Phoenix, honey, just admit that you're overtly excited about this." Harper tells me with a cute little giggle.

"Fine, maybe I am a little too excited." I admit teasingly as I rest my hands on my wife's growing stomach and then bring my lips down to it. "Hi baby, it's your daddy. Mommy and I can't wait to meet you. We're so excited that you're going to be part of our family." I kiss Harper's stomach before bringing my head up to kiss my wife.

"I love you," I tell her. "You're so amazing, perfect, beautiful . . ." I trail off. There are just too many adjectives to describe my wonderful wife.

"Mrs. Mellark," A nurse calls and Harper and I get up and follow her to our exam room.

"This is a very exciting visit, indeed, especially for first time parents." The nurse gushes as she takes Harper's weight and other measurements. I can't help but smile like a fool the entire time, which I can see is starting to annoy my pregnant wife.

"I can't wait," I tell Harper as we wait in the exam room for our doctor to come in and proceed with our appointment.

"Good morning, Harper, Phoenix," Dr. Amana says as she enters the exam room. "Now, I believe today is your five month appointment and you are asking to find out the sex of your baby?"

"Yes," I answer eagerly, earning me an eye roll from Harper. Dr. Amana instructs Harper to lie back on the chair and to lift her shirt. Dr. Amana applies some of the ultrasound gel and then turns the ultrasound machine on, using the wand to find the baby. Dr. Amana studies the screen for a while, remaining silent, much to my dismay.

"What's wrong?" I ask after about a minute. My heart is pounding in my chest, terror coursing through my veins, my mind imagining the worst possibilities. Harper is squeezing my hand tightly. She must be thinking the exact same thing I am thinking right now. We both fear the same thing.

"Nothing is wrong at all. I actually have some good news." Dr. Amana replies with a smile. I watch the doctor, eagerly awaiting this good news. "Well, it seems that you are going to be having twins." Dr. Amana tells us with a huge smile. Twins? Twins! A laugh escapes my vocal cords, happiness flooding through my body, as well as relief. Harper and I take a minute to kiss each other. We are both laughing like a couple of fools, most likely from the relief we are feeling having learned that there is nothing wrong with our baby – excuse me, _babies_!

"Well, would you like to know the sexes of your babies?" Dr. Amana asks us, clearly amused by my mine and my wife's reactions to the news of our twins. Harper and I both nod eagerly. Harper already has tears in her eyes so I have no doubt that she will be crying from happiness by the end of our appointment.

"Well, baby A, the first baby, is a girl." Dr. Amana informs us, giving us a minute to kiss over this wonderful news. A baby girl; we're going to have a baby girl! "And, it would seem that baby B is also a girl." Dr. Amana tells us with a smile. Girls; we're going to have two baby girls! Harper and I laugh and kiss and Harper starts to cry just as I predicted.

"Congratulations," Dr. Amana tells us before leaving to give us a couple of minutes alone.

"We're having two baby girls," I whisper to my wife, my lips just millimeters from hers.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Well, that was Phoenix," Ivy tells me as she hangs up her cell phone. "He and Harper are having twin girls!" She tells me, smiling as she walks over to me. She is wearing her scrubs, having just finished a twenty-four hour shift down in the ER. Her hair is a mess. Her makeup is starting to fade away. She looks a bit tired. My wife is never more beautiful than she is when she is just getting off one of her long shifts.

"That's great!" I say, leaning down to kiss Ivy's lips. Today, we are going to Dr. Styles' office to try in-vitro fertilization once again. Ivy's been on hormone injections since our last attempt at in-vitro and we are both really hoping that this will be the time it goes right. A week ago, we were here to have Ivy's eggs extracted and to give Dr. Styles my semen sample. Today, we were her for the embryo implantation.

Underneath her happiness for her brother and sister-in-law, I can sense a bit of envy in my wife's body language. And really, that's something I expected we would be dealing with. Of course Ivy is going to be jealous of her brother who is going to have not only one baby, but now two. It's just logical that she'd be a little jealous. But, of course, Ivy would never ever say anything to her brother or Harper about being envious. She wouldn't want to hurt their feelings or make them feel bad for us. Anyhow, we're both hoping that no one is going to have to feel bad for us again after today, if everything goes as planned.

Ivy keeps my hand in a death grip during the duration of the procedure. I know that this is probably the most unpleasant part of this process, the home injections coming to a close second. Once Dr. Styles has implanted the embryos into Ivy, we sit together in the procedure room for an hour. We just talk about little things; my work, her work, the weather, our apartment, the house we have been seriously considering, whether we should get a cat or a dog. We both agree on a dog.

After our hour is up, I drive us both back to our apartment, where we spend the rest of the night. After finishing up some work on an article she is writing for a medical journal, Ivy calls her sister, Lilac, to see how she is doing with her pregnancy. Apparently, Lilac has been getting a lot of morning sickness lately. After hanging up with her sister, Ivy calls Phoenix and then ends up chatting with Harper about baby stuff for about two hours. After talking to Harper, Ivy calls Finn, who has been seriously considering joining Panem's army or navy. I know this worries Ivy, we've talked about it a lot, but she knows her brother is going to do whatever he thinks is right and Ivy respects that.

I just sit on our bed, watching my wife as she checks in on all her siblings. And, not for the first time, I picture Ivy raising our babies in a nice house in a nice suburb in town. Our kids would be geniuses. Ivy would do everything she could to nurture our kid or kids interests and abilities. Ivy will definitely be an amazing mother.

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Sweetheart, if you keep shaking your leg like that, you're going to start breaking the tiles." I tell my wife as we sit together in the waiting room of Dr. Styles' office. Today, we are going to find out whether or not we are going to become parents within the next nine months. Honestly, I am probably just as nervous as Ivy is. Really, this is quite a nerve wracking experience, especially when it's your second time being in this position.

A nurse leads us to one of Dr. Styles' exam rooms and then, after drawing a vial of Ivy's blood, leaves us alone again. The room is a bit cold and dimly lit. For some reason, I feel like this fits our situation perfectly. Ivy squeezes my hand so tight I think she might actually end up cutting off the circulation. I really don't mind. As long as it's helping her, I'm okay.

Ten minutes later, Dr. Styles enters the exam room. For a few minutes, his face is turned down as he studies the chart in his hands. It's hard to read his emotions when you can't see his face, so Ivy and I are suspended in time for a bit longer. After about three minutes, Dr. Styles looks up and a faint smile graces his features.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant."

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**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH! That's all I have to say really! Well, I'll give you a heads up on what's next: We'll see some Ivy-Alex pregnancy related things, we'll get some more info on this mysterious attack on Panem and what'll be happening next, two of our characters will be joining Panem's armed forces, and a surprise twist that I'm sure NONE of you have any idea will take place . . . Mwahahahahahahahha. I like twists! :D Don't even try guessing, because you won't get it, trust me, this is just crazy :D. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, Everybody! So, you guys got lucky tonight! My advanced chemistry teacher decided to put off our test until next Tuesday, so you get a chapter today! :) Don't you love my advanced chemistry teacher? I do! She's just so amazingly funny! Anyhow, I hope you like this chapter! I personally can't wait to see you reactions to it! :) Read on!  
**

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Chapter Seventeen

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*Four Weeks Later*_

"Dr. Abernathy, the blood work on the five year old in Exam 2 is back," Jane, one of the ER nurses that works the night shift, like I am doing right now, tells me.

"Thanks," I reply as I head over to the admin desk, which is where all the computers are and, therefore, where all our lab results end up. We still use paper for some things, but nowadays most of our lab work and imaging is purely electronic. It's actually really nice and it saves a lot of trees.

As I study the lab results, I can't help but frown, both inwardly and outwardly. My patient, a five year old girl named Ally, has been here all morning with her very worried mother and father, trying to find out the cause of her unexplained bruising. Well, the results of her blood work show that things are not good.

"Hi," I say as I enter the exam room. Both of Ally's parents jump up right away. I gesture for them to follow me outside the room. I want to talk to them in private first. There is no need to overwhelm Ally with all this right away and being told by her parents would just be a better experience than me just spitting it out.

"What's wrong?" Ally's dad asks us. You can tell that they're both very scared for their daughter's health.

"Well, Ally's blood work came back and it's telling me something that isn't good." I pause for a moment before continuing. "Ally's white blood cell count is very, very elevated. Usually, elevated white blood cell counts mean that a body is fighting off an infection, but when they are this high, we instantly think of something else. Now, we'll have to do a few more tests to make sure this is the right diagnosis, but it would seem that your daughter has leukemia." I tell Ally's parents. As expected, they don't take the news well. Ally's dad wraps her mom in his arms as she starts crying, his own eyes becoming misty.

I spend the next forty-five minutes explaining everything I can about leukemia to Ally's parents. Most of it just pours out of my mouth without me having to think about it. It's like all the information I crammed into my brain in medical school is just coming up like word vomit. I introduce them to the head pediatric oncologist at the hospital, who helps them begin to understand the tests that Ally will be undergoing soon and what the treatment options there are. He skips over Ally's "odds", which I'm thankful for. If this case of leukemia is advanced, then the odds are the Ally will be . . . gone in less than a year.

"Hey," Alex says as pops his head into my office in the ER.

"Hey," I reply, trying not to sound too tired. It's six a.m. and I've been working since six p.m. of last night. These night shifts definitely take a lot out of you, especially if you're about a month pregnant, which I am.

"How was your day?" He asks me as we walk out of the ER together. Whenever I have a night shift, Alex always drives to his lab, walks over to the ER, and then walks me home. I've taken to running to work for the last year and half, which I will have to stop when I get into my third trimester.

"It was alright, until my last patient. A five year old came in with unexplained bruising and then left four hours later with leukemia." I reply.

"I'm sorry," Alex tells me, kissing my forehead. Ever since we found out that we're going to have this baby, Alex and I have been a lot more sensitive to anything relating to kids and/or pregnancy, which is kind of hard for me since I work as a pediatrician in the ER. Most of the time, the kids I treat are not in good shape. Alex has been really great though with taking care of me and talking to our baby. He talks to our baby for at least an hour every day; most of the time it's when I am getting ready to fall asleep.

"Hi baby, it's your daddy." Alex whispers against my still flat abdomen. I am lying in bed, my fingers playing with my husband's hair as he has yet another chat with our unborn child. "Mommy and daddy love you so much. You're our little miracle; you know that, don't you? Mommy and daddy are so happy that we have you. And just a side note, no matter what your Uncle Finn says you have the coolest parents ever." Alex tells our baby, making me chuckle. I slowly drift off to sleep to the sound of my husband talking to our baby, our miracle.

Liam Hawthorne's POV

"Liam, are you sure about this?" Destiny asks me for the millionth time since I started packing my things.

"Destiny, I know you don't want me to go, but I have to." I tell her, stopping my packing for a moment to kiss her forehead. "I'm an engineer and they could really use me on the naval ships. I practically designed the whole thing, so I know how everything works and I know how to fix everything."

"I know that, Liam. I just . . . I don't want to lose you," She tells me, pulling me close to her in a hug.

"You don't have to worry about losing me. I'm just an engineer. Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll be fine. Plus, I'll have Finn nearby. We're both going to be fine. I promise you." I tell Destiny, staring into her beautiful eyes.

"I'm just worried. I love you, Liam, and losing you scares me." Destiny tells me.

"I know, babe, but I'm going to be fine. Before you know it, I'll be back here and we'll be back to normal. Everything is going to be fine." I repeat. Destiny bites her lower lip, the way she does when she's thinking about how to say something.

Lately, I've been feeling like Destiny has been hiding something from me. Not anything incredibly bad, but just something little that she's irrationally afraid of telling me because she thinks I'll be angry with her. Honestly, despite our on again off again pattern of the last few years, I don't think I've ever been completely mad at Destiny. Sure she irks me, but she never pisses me off. We don't fight any more than any other couples does. Actually, compared to most couples, Destiny and I have a pretty laid back relationship. Most of our time spent together is about having fun and just living the way we want to live. And I love that about our relationship.

"Is something wrong?" I ask her after Destiny remains silent for a few more minutes, growing increasingly worried looking as she does. This only makes my own anxiety grow. Destiny is always such a carefree, laid back person. I don't think I've ever seen her so worried before in the whole time we're known each other.

"Liam, I'm pregnant." Destiny says quietly, barely above a whisper. Pregnant? A baby? We're having a baby? So many thoughts zoom through my mind. I never imagined being a father, but now that I think about it. . . It would be kind of nice, wouldn't it? Raising a baby with the woman you love, isn't that the dream? A baby; I think I'd like to have a baby with Destiny. I'm so overjoyed at her news, that I almost miss Destiny's next statement. "But, it's not yours."

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**For those of you who didn't figure it out, this is what I meant by the big twist I hoped none of you thought of until right now. So, what do you think? I, personally, love it! I just love drama and twists, if you hadn't noticed that yet ;). So, I don't have much to say after that ending, so, I'm going to leave you with this chapter for the night. Maybe I'll be able to get one up tomorrow, hopefully I will. After that, you won't be getting another one until Sunday afternoon/evening, as I have various homecoming activities. I really am excited! :D So, thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this ending and what you think will be happening next! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, Everybody! As promised, here is your Thursday chapter! Whoo! You might get one, or possibly two, more sometime tonight yet, so be prepared! Things are going to start moving along nicely, I hope! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Eighteen

Finn Mellark's POV

"I know you want to say it, so just say it," I tell my girlfriend, Summer Emerson, as I finish packing my bags for basic training. I have been packing for the last hour and a half and Summer has done nothing but sit on our bed and watch me intently.

"I don't have anything to say," Summer replies coolly. I know Summer is upset with me for volunteering for the navy and she's been showing her emotions by just pretending she doesn't care at all. This is actually quite typical of my girlfriend.

"I know you're upset, Summer, and I know you have something to say to me, so just say it." I persist, catching Summer's wrist as she tries to leave our bedroom.

"I don't want you to go," She tells me, the gleam of tears rising into her eyes. My heart aches to see Summer upset, especially when I am so used to seeing her so happy and carefree. I give her a weak smile and then pull her into my arms, holding her close to my chest.

"I know you don't want me to go, babe, but I have to. I have to make sure you and the rest of my family and everyone are okay." I try to explain.

"I would be better if you were here with me," Summer replies, snuggling closer into my chest.

"I know, but I have to do this. I'm sorry I'll be gone, but I'll be back before you know it. Everything is going to be okay." I tell Summer, stoking her blonde hair and kissing the top of her head.

"Just be careful," Summer tells me, tilting her head to kiss my lips. I kiss her back, relishing in the feeling of her lips against mine, knowing it will be a long time before I feel them again.

"I love you," She tells me once we break apart, a few tears slipping from her eyes.

"I love you, too." I tell her, choking back tears myself. I grab my bags and then leave.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask Liam as he slams his Jeep door after he gets out. Liam just shakes his head, but I can see the he is fuming on the inside. The only thing I can think of is that he and Destiny had some sort of fight.

"Tell me," I persist as we both unload our bags from our cars.

"Destiny cheated on me," He practically barks. "And now she's pregnant with that prick's damn kid!" Whoa!

"You're kidding," I reply, completely shocked that Destiny would do this kind of thing. I know she and Liam have always had an off again, on again relationship, but their breakups only ever lasted for a day or two. "I thought you guys were doing well?"

"We were, or at least I thought we were. I can believe this! And then she tries to get me to forgive her! Why would I forgive her?! She cheated on me! She just threw our whole relationship aside like it was garbage, sleeps with someone else, and then is stupid enough to get pregnant! She probably wouldn't have told me if she hadn't gotten pregnant. That bitch!" Liam rants, breathing hard and turning red in the face with anger. I've never been cheated on so I don't know how it feels, but I think that maybe Liam is overreacting a little bit. Then again, I could be wrong about that, too.

"I'm sorry, man." I say, clapping Liam on the back.

"It is fine," Liam brushes off. "We have more important things to worry about," He says, nodding his head to the doors of the volunteering station we are about to walk into. We both look at each other for a minute. I don't know about Liam, but I'm feeling a little bit apprehensive. I put a lot of thought into this before making my decision but now . . . I'm not so sure I should do this.

"Having second thoughts?" Liam asks me.

"Kind of, but they don't matter." I reply. "I'm doing this." I tell him in affirmation. He nods at me and we walk into the volunteering station together.

Inside, after waiting in line for about half an hour, I finally get to the front of the line. I give the military officer behind the desk my medical records, birth certificate, social security number, and all the other records and papers that are necessary for joining the armed forces. I am sent off to get a medical screening test, a psychiatric evaluation, and an interview. The medical screening goes quickly and the psychiatric evaluation isn't as bad as I thought it would be. In the interview, an officer asks me all these questions about my family and my life and why I am volunteering. The whole thing makes my palms sweaty and my heart race a bit, but, soon, it's over, too.

The whole process takes about two hours and then I end up sitting in the lobby waiting to be "approved". Liam comes out of one of the interview rooms ten minutes after I do and we wait it out together. All I can think about right now is basic training and everything we'll both have to do. There will be obstacle courses, core and stamina training, weapon instruction, and so on and so on.

"Well, gentlemen, welcome aboard," First Sergeant Collins tells us. Liam and I both stand up and shake First Sergeant Collins' hand. He hands up packet with all the information we will need on everything from our base to deployment. Thankfully, they put Liam and me on the same base. "Private Hawthorne, Private Mellark," Sergeant Collins says, saluting us both. We salute in return and then head off to the base that will now be our home.

So, Liam and I head off to our new home of six months' worth of basic training. It's about an hour drive and located in an old Hunger Games' training center in District One; only it's been revamped several times over. It has all new obstacle courses, all new weapons, all new simulations, and all new officers waiting to start training the fresh blood.

"Welcome," A senior officer says as soon as we walk through the doors. "Let me give you a tour," He tells us as he starts showing us around. First, he takes us outside to show us most of the obstacle courses and where we do most of our stamina training. Right now, there is a group of men running in formation around the training center. They all look like they've been here quite a while, so I would assume they have been here since before the bombings in District 9.

After showing us around outside, Officer White shows to the cafeteria, the common living spaces, and lastly the barracks, which is where we all sleep. There are sections divided up by rank, so Officer White shows us to the privates' section. Already, there are about a dozen guys unpacking their things. Officer White leaves us and Liam and I go ahead and start unpacking. As we unpack, we start chatting with some of the other guys in the barracks. We're all volunteer soldiers. We spend the next two hours before dinner talking about our families, girlfriends, why we volunteered, what we did before we decided to volunteer.

At dinner, the Officers and Sergeants and the guys that have been here for the last three or four years all welcome us and then we have our special dinner of tenderloin steak, baked potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and milk. It is a dinner very high in protein. I can already tell that the next few weeks, or even months, are going to be pretty tough, even for me. It'll be worth it though, if I can keep my family safe.

After dinner, all the guys are rough housing around and watching some sports in the common living space. I, on the other hand, am lying on my bottom bunk bed, staring at my picture of Summer. It is a picture of her standing on the beach in one of her many bikinis, the ocean behind her and a wave rolling into shore as the sun sets. She is absolutely beautiful, the girl I'm fighting for.

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**Gotta love quoting Disney movies! :D I hope this chapter was okay! I know it's kind of boring, but things will become interesting soon! I promise! You'll get to see Finn and Liam in training, more Ivy and Alex is coming up, and it won't be long until we meet the newest Mellark twins! Aren't you super excited? I know I am! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter for all y'all! I hope you like it! Isn't it great to get more than one chapter a day!? Read on!  
**

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Chapter Nineteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Good morning," Alex says, kissing my lips as we recline in bed after some enjoyable, morning bedroom activities. Ever since my terrible morning sickness finally ended, Alex and I have been having quite a lot of fun in the sack.

"Good morning," I reply, smiling at my husband.

"How are my wife and baby doing this morning?" Alex asks me, resting a hand across my abdomen, which hasn't started to grow yet even though I know I've gained about ten pounds since I got pregnant.

"We're good. Are you going to come to the appointment this afternoon after my shift?" I ask Alex. Alex really wanted me to cut back on my work load, so now I only work eight hour shifts and then spend most of my time at home writing articles for various medical journals.

"Of course I am. I love seeing our baby." Alex replies, leaning down to plant a soft, gentle kiss right above my bellybutton. I let my fingers move through his hair, watching my husband establish a relationship with our unborn child.

I grimace as the knots in my back start to ache. For the last week, I've had a back ache. Alex insists I should go see a chiropractor, but I settle for just having Alex massage it for me.

"Are you alright?" Alex asks me, worry crossing over his face.

"I'm fine, Alex, it's just my back. I'll be fine." I tell him. We pry ourselves from the bed and get ready for work. After a nice, brisk ten minute walk to work, we split up, giving each other goodbye kisses.

"Good morning, Dr. Abernathy. How are you feeling today?" Cassie, one of the ER nurses, says as I walk through the revolving doors of the ER.

"Well, yourself?" I reciprocate.

"Good. How's the baby?" She asks.

"Great," I reply with a smile. Alex and I originally wanted to keep the news of our pregnancy on the low down, but it got leaked out into the hospital and the surrounding university. I felt bad because we hadn't gotten a chance to tell my parents or Alex's yet.

"That's great. We have a teenager with a sports injury coming in; ETA is less than five minutes." Cassie tells me. I nod to her and then head to my office to quickly change into a pair of scrubs.

"Sixteen year old female, took a fall in a basketball game and twisted her knee." The paramedic fills me in as we wheel the gurney into one of the trauma rooms.

"Alright, I want to get an x-ray and an MRI." I say after I use my hands to feel the girl's knee joint. I can already tell something bad has happened under the skin; the swelling shows that well enough. And so, after she comes back from radiology, I make my diagnosis.

"I hate to tell you this, but you tore your ACL. You'll need surgery and to let it heal up for a few months. I'm sorry, kiddo, but you're out for the season." I tell my young patient, who is now very bummed. I tell her she'll be fine at that our knee surgeon is the best in Panem.

The next eight hours go by pretty quickly and somewhere during my shift, I develop a killer headache. I can literally feel my temples throbbing and any movement of my neck sends pain down my spine and into my back. All in all, I can't be happier when the end of my shift finally comes and Alex and I meet up for dinner before our appointment with Dr. Styles.

"Are you okay, babe? You look kind of pale." Alex asks me, clasping my hand in his and giving me a concerned look.

"I have a really bad headache and my back is killing me," I reply with a grimace as another sharp pain runs down my back.

"I think we should have Dr. Styles check you out while we're at his office," Alex says, his face growing more and more worried.

"That's not necessary, Alex. It's probably just morning sickness or the flu; nothing to be worried about." I tell him, giving him a weak smile.

"Please, Ivy, just for my peace of mind?" Alex asks, his blue-grey eyes pleading with me.

"If it will make you feel better, than fine." I cave.

We eat the rest of our dinner and then head over to Dr. Styles' office. Despite not feeling well at all, I am still excited to see my baby. I love these appointments so much and we've only have four since we found out we're pregnant. Dr. Styles' has just been great to work with through this whole process. I don't know what I would have done without him.

"Good evening, Mr. and Dr. Abernathy," Dr. Styles say as we come into the exam room attached to his office. "How are you both doing today?" He asks. Alex, of course, gives me a pointed look before replying.

"Well, Ivy has actually not been feeling well at all lately," Alex tells Dr. Styles.

"Well, that's not good. Why don't we do your ultrasound and then try and figure out what's making you ill?" Dr. Styles suggests. Alex and I both agree as we are both eager to see our beautiful little baby and hear his or her steady heartbeat.

I lie back on the exam chair and lift my shirt from my stomach so Dr. Styles can do the ultrasound. As he is getting the ultrasound machine up and running, we all make small talk. He asks about how I've been feeling and I tell him about my backaches and headaches that I've had all day. He tells me I'm working too much, but I tell him I feel bad even when I'm not working. As Dr. Styles is doing the ultrasound and Alex and I are chatting, I notice the lack of background noise.

"Is something wrong?" I ask Dr. Styles, who is intently studying the ultrasound screen.

"You said you had backaches, Ivy, right?" He asks me, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I reply.

"We're they in your lower back or your upper back?" He asks. This takes a few minutes of thinking. I always thought it was just my whole back that ached, but now that I think about it, it was more my lower back than anything and whenever Alex rubbed my lower back it felt a little bit better.

"Lower, I think," I reply.

"How long has this back pain been going on?" He asks. Now he's really starting to worry me with all his questions . . .

"Three, maybe four, days," I tell him. I watch as Dr. Styles' face visibly falls. Something is definitely wrong.

"What is it?" Alex presses, clutching my hand in his.

"Ivy, Alex, I'm sorry, but the baby died,"

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**I have nothing to say other than that this won't be the last chapter for tonight so don't try to hunt me down and kill me! I promise, you'll get another chapter before I go to bed. Granted, it might not be a very happy chapter, but it'll be a chapter! Sorry if I made any of you cry. I saw that a lot of you told me not to do this, but it needed to happen. I've had it planned since the beginning. I could have been worse! I could have had them have the baby and then killed it off or I could have made it so Ivy had to do a still birth (No, I won't be doing anything like that to any of the characters in the future.) Thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, Everybody! I promised you this chapter and here it is! It's sad, as to be expected, so I really hope none of you cry or anything. You'll never find out what happens if you don't read! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Ivy, Alex, I'm sorry, but the baby died," I feel my heart just completely shatter. I swallow back tears and look at Ivy, whose face has just gone completely blank. I know my wife. I don't even have to ask to know she has just completely fallen apart on the inside. She'll be in tears before we get home.

"I don't know for sure what caused your miscarriage. It could have been infection or a hormonal imbalance or uterine abnormalities. We probably won't ever know for sure. Since the fetus" Ivy cringes at the word, "is still inside your uterus, I'm going to give you this medication that will your uterus expel its contents. This will happen in a few days, after you've taken the medication.

"Ivy, Alex, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I know it's hard. I wish I could have prevented it. If either of you need anything, anything at all, feel free to call me at any time. I've come to build a bond with the two of you and I'm hoping that you'll seek me out when you decide to try for another baby." Dr. Styles says. I just nod and thank him for his help. He leaves the exam room and Ivy and I are left in silence.

"Ivy, sweetheart, we need to go now," I say in a gentle voice. Ivy hasn't moved or said anything since Dr. Styles told us the news. She's internalizing everything and it scares me when she does this. After a few minutes, Ivy gets up from the exam chair and we leave Dr. Styles' office.

The drive home is silent, deathly silent. I want to know what Ivy is thinking, but I am afraid to ask her. I don't want to make her any more upset than she is right now. I don't want to make this any harder on Ivy than I know it already will be. Right now, I need to strong for Ivy.

We get home and I get Ivy changed into her pajamas and into bed. I try to get her to eat something, anything really, but she's adamantly against it. Then, I try to get her to take medication that Dr. Styles gave her but, as she stares at the prescription bottle, tears well up in her eyes and, for the first time since we got the worst news we could have possibly gotten today, Ivy lets loose of her emotions.

I hold her while she cries and cries and cries. Heartbreaking sobs wrack through her body, making her whole body shake as she cries and coughs and dry heaves all at the same time. I wish there was something I could do to take away her pain. If I could, I would take all her pain and put it on my shoulders. I'd rather be unhappy than have Ivy this upset. It just kills me so much to see the love of my life like this.

This, of course, isn't the first time I've seen Ivy like this. When we first found out we wouldn't be able to conceive naturally, Ivy had reacted in a similar way, but this time around it was at least a million times worse than it had been then.

I felt like someone had ripped my heart out, jumped on it a few hundred times, ripped it into shreds, put it through a meat grinder, and then put it back in my chest. It's hard to explain the pain you feel; not physical pain, but emotional pain. You would think it would be this dull ache, but it's more of a sharp pain that doesn't stop no matter how hard you beg it to.

I don't know how long Ivy cries into my chest, but I know that I watch the sun set and the moon rise as I hold her. It's almost pitch dark in our bedroom when she abruptly stops; only the moonlight shines through our bedroom window to cast an eerie glow.

"Alex," Ivy croaks, her voice hoarse from crying.

"What is it, sweetheart?" I ask her, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry," She says, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"Ivy, sweetheart, you don't have to apologize. There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent this. It just happened." I tell Ivy, holding her close to me.

"I wish I could give you the baby you deserve," Ivy laments, snuggling closer into my chest.

"Ivy, everything is going to be fine, okay? I know you don't feel like it's going to be okay, but it will be; eventually. I promise." I tell my wife as I stroke her gorgeous brown hair.

"Do you still love me?" Ivy asks. I feel my heart shatter once again tonight as Ivy asks me this question.

"Ivy, of course I still love you. There is nothing that could happen in this world that would make me stop loving you. Even when we're separated by death, I will still love you. Always remember that." I reply, fighting off the tears that now threaten to escape from my eyes.

"Alex, it's okay for you to cry," Ivy tells me, tilting her head up so I can see her eyes. I give her a weak smile as my dam finally breaks. Salty tears roll down my cheeks, some landing on my lips. Tears have their own unique taste, underneath the saltiness. They taste like . . . sadness, all the sadness in the world condensed into a tiny drop.

"I love you," I say to my wife as more of my tears fall from my eyes.

"I love you, too," She replies, snuggling into my arms. For a long time, we just remain there, wrapped in each other's arms, our tears mixing together. I can't imagine going through this kind of thing with anyone but Ivy. She's the only woman I've ever loved in my entire life. She's everything to me. And I know just how bad she is beating herself up over this. She feels like she doesn't deserve me because she can't give me a baby. And, no matter how hard I've tried, it doesn't seem like I've convinced her otherwise. I know it's hard for Ivy though because I know just how badly she wants to have a baby, wants to have my baby.

Right now, I need to be here for Ivy, no matter what. Honestly, she is the most important thing to me in the entire world. I don't care if I lose my job. I don't care if the rest of the world is at war. The most important thing to me is and always will be Ivy Sky Abernathy. No one will ever be able to care about or love something more than I do her. I could only ever be able to love my children as much as I love Ivy. My family will always be my priority, nothing else in this world matter to me.

"Alex," Ivy says after a few hours' worth of silence. I got to watch the sun begin to rise over the horizon as I held Ivy through another fit of crying which she is just ending now.

"What is it, sweetheart?" I ask her, blinking my eyes rapidly a few times to ward off the exhaustion I am feeling right now.

"I don't want to try for a baby anymore," Ivy tells me. Shock is the first thing I feel. After all this, Ivy really wants to stop trying to have a baby? While I find this kind of weird, I can understand it and I will support her in any decision she makes.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes," She replies definitely. I can understand her decision. After the heart break she's just been through, Ivy doesn't want to let her walls down and get her hopes up again. That would just be setting herself up to get hurt again. Ivy's the love of my life and, if she doesn't want to try to have baby anymore, then we won't try for a baby anymore, no matter how much it hurts.

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**Now, unfortunately, this is my last chapter most likely until Sunday, when I have a little bit of spare time to write. I wont be home until 11 tomorrow night and then saturday I have to spend my time at home getting ready for the dance and won't be back until after midnight, which is when I plan on going to sleep. Sorry about leaving it at this spot, but I can't get another chapter it. I have to go to bed so I can get up tomorrow for school. Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review (even if it is only to leave me a death threat). **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, Everybody! So, I'm all showered, my legs are shaved, and my toenails and fingernails are all painted and sparkly! And, I had two hours to go before my mom starts on my hair, so this happened! :)I hope you all enjoy it! You won't see anything new until tomorrow afternoon as I am sleeping over a friends after the dance tonight and it's sure to just be crazy! Alright, read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-One

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Four Weeks Later*_

"Can you believe all this?" Liam asks as we both walk back into our barracks. Liam, who isn't used to pushing his body to the limit physically, has been having a rough four weeks here in basic training.

Over the last four weeks, we've climbed at least fifty miles of rope at an almost vertical angle, we've treaded water for a combined total of four days, every single man has added at least a hundred pounds to his maximum bench pressing weight, and we must have run over three hundred miles all together. Most of the guys have been pretty beat through all this, but there are a couple, like me, who are still going strong.

It's been hard not being with Summer. I miss her so much. I hate being away from her, but this is something I need to do. She understands. We've talked over the phone and even exchanged a few letters since I've been here. I'm hoping I'll be able to see her before I'm deployed.

"What did you expect? This is war, not frolicking through the meadow," I reply, wrapping up the rope burns on my palms from today's ropes course.

"I didn't think they'd be so rough on us," Liam complains. He's right about that. The officers have been pretty rough on us since we got there, but they've still been pretty nice, too. They're just doing their jobs and I respect them for it. If we don't get disciplined now, what'll happen when we're all out there on the battlefield fighting for our lives and the safety of our country and loved ones?

"Stop complaining. You sound like a wimp," I say, with a joking smile.

"I'm sorry. We can't all be Olympic athletes who have been training like this since the day they were born," Liam replies, shoving me teasingly.

We both shower and then head off to dinner with the rest of the guys; All these guys are pretty amazing in their own ways. And they're all so different. We have three or four former peacekeepers, a teacher, three doctors, and about eight guys that have just turned eighteen, barely out of high school. It's with men like this, that our country will remain safe for our loved ones.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"No, we have to buy neutral colored stuff," I tell my boyfriend, Ash Hemlock, for the sixth time since we got to the store. He really doesn't know the meaning of neutral.

"Why can't we just find out the sex of the baby? Wouldn't that just make things so much easier?" Ash asks me. He really wants to know the sex of the baby and he's made that pretty clear, but I want to be surprised. And, if he found out, he'd probably spill it to everyone in less than an hour and then the surprise ends up ruined for me. No, it will be a surprise for everyone.

"I want to be surprised. So, until our baby is born, we buy neutral colors." I tell him adamantly.

"Fine," Ash sighs. He wraps his arm around my waist, his fingers resting on my abdomen, as we look through a rack of onesies.

"What do you think of this shade of yellow?" I ask Ash, leaning the back of my head against his chest.

"I like it and I think our baby would like it," Ash replies, his fingers caressing my growing baby bump. At six months pregnant, I feel fat, but Ash insists I am more gorgeous than ever.

"Maybe we could talk Phoenix into painting the nursery for us. I'm sure he'd do it if you helped him. Then we could do something like ducks as a theme for the nursery. I think that'd look nice," I say, smiling as I think about my baby. I still can't believe that I'll have a baby in approximately three months. This whole ordeal has been quite surreal.

Ash and I started recording some baby's and children's music a few months ago. We thought it'd be nice not only for our baby, but for Phoenix and Harper's little twin girls that are on the way. I was excited to give my older sister, Ivy, a copy, but she miscarried just a few weeks ago. Since then, she's decided she doesn't want to try to have a baby anymore. It makes me sad that my sister can't have a baby, especially when I'm here about to have my own baby. I hope Ivy changes her mind and, ultimately, becomes the wonderful mother I know she will be.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"I wish you would have let me help," Harper says as we lie on the floor of the newly painted nursery in the new house we moved into two weeks ago. Harper and I discussed it and we decided we didn't want to wait until after we had the babies to move. It was just easier to do it before. This way, we didn't have to paint two nurseries.

"The doctor said you can't be around wet paint fumes. I wouldn't want to endanger the three most important people to me," I reply, running my hands over Harper's seven months pregnant stomach. Every day, my wife gets more and more beautiful. I cannot wait to see her holding my baby girls in a little over two months.

"You did a great job," Harper tells me, snuggling into chest as we lie on the floor. I painted the nursery a pale purple and then put large dots of many different colors on the four walls. I read online that something like this will help babies learn to distinguish colors better and sooner.

"I can't wait to have these babies," I tell my wife, nuzzling her neck.

"I can't either. You know, we're going to have to pick names soon." Harper tells me with a smile.

"That's right. Did you have any ideas?" I ask her.

"I'm not sure. What about you?" She asks.

"Well, I think it'd be nice if we stuck with your parents' H names tradition. I really like that." I tell my wife.

"Well, that narrows down our list. What about Heather?" Harper asks.

"Eh, it's okay. It doesn't quite have the ring a proper name should have." I reply. "What about Hailey?" I ask Harper.

"Oh, I like that a lot! Hadley? What do you think of that name?" Harper asks me.

"I think it's beautiful," I reply, kissing my wife. "Hi Hailey and Hadley, it's your daddy. I can't wait to meet you," I say to my newly named unborn daughters.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"I probably won't be home for dinner, so you don't have to cook tonight. I'll just get something on my way home." Ivy tells me as she packs a few files into her bag for work. This is the third time this week Ivy has told me the same thing regarding dinner plans. And, sadly, I've come to actually expect that in response to the question I ask her every morning before she goes to work.

After her miscarriage, Ivy jumped right back into her twelve and twenty-four hour shifts at the hospital. She's actually volunteered herself for the double shifts and will take someone else's shift if they need someone to fill in for them. She's pulling away from me; that is clear as day.

"Bye," I say. "I love you."

"Yep, bye," Ivy says, grabbing her bag and leaving without giving me a goodbye kiss. She used to always kiss me before leaving for work, sometimes three or four times. There were a few cases where goodbye kisses lead to other activities that made Ivy late for work. Nothing even remotely close to that has happened since the miscarriage. We haven't talked about it at all since it happened. We've barely talked at all since that night. I stare at the closed door of our apartment for a long time after Ivy leaves. I know it's true, but I don't want to believe it. The love of my life is pushing me away.

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**I really wanted to get you all caught up on where every is at in the story, so that's where this chapter came from. Good things will be coming into this story soon, so don't stop reading because you think I'm heartless and just being mean to my characters. I really do love them all. I mean, I am the one that created them all. What doesn't kill them will make them stronger in the long run. I hope you all liked it! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! They mean the world to me!  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey, Everybody! So, my homecoming was awesome! My friends are the best ever! I am also completely exhausted and wrote this chapter with the help of a monster energy drink (The rojo tea rehab kind. I love that stuff!). So, I hope this chapter is okay! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Six Weeks Later*_

"Up, up, up, up, up!" The guttural voice of one of the commanding officers pulls me out of the dream I was having of Summer and I on the beach. I begrudgingly get out of bed and stand to attention in line with all the other privates.

"We have just received news that the enemy who attacked our country is on the move. Our sources have told us that they have naval forces heading straight to the shores of District Four. It's time for you all to buck up. We move out tomorrow morning, four a.m. sharp. We'll take Humvees to District Four and board our ships from there. If there's anyone you'd like to see before we head off, have them meet you at the naval base in District Four. You'll have about half an hour for goodbyes." And, with that, the officer leaves us.

I glance over to Liam to see his reaction to this, our speedy deployment. He looks both angry and concerned at the same time. I have a feeling that he's thinking back to Destiny and the fact that she is carrying another man's baby. Usually, he would be calling her right now to have her meet him at the base in Four. I clap him on the back reassuringly and then head off to go call Summer.

"Hello," Summer answers. Her voice sounds so much sweeter than I ever thought it was before.

"Hey, Summer, it's Finn." I reply. "Um, listen, we've just all been told that we're going to be deployed early tomorrow morning. We're actually going to the base in Four before we leave and the officer said we'll have some time before we go to see anyone we want to see."

"Oh, you're being deployed!" Summer says, clearly upset. "Of course I'll be there! I know where the base is. What time are you going to be there?"

"Probably around six in the morning," I reply. "Sorry it's so early."

"Oh, don't worry about that! It's fine. Do you want me to call your parents and have them meet us there?" Summer asks. Crap, I hadn't even thought about mom and dad.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks," I reply. Summer and I chat for a few more hours before we're all summoned to training. I tell Summer I'll see her tomorrow and we hang up.

Liam and I sit next to each other in silence as the Humvee finally moves into District Four. We both have our parents waiting for us at the base, plus my girlfriend, Summer. Most of yesterday was spent prepping all of the privates for what is going to come. We'll be on one of Panem's huge naval ships, on our way to stop the enemy dead in their tracks, not even giving them the opportunity to come after us. It's pretty obvious that we're all nervous, no matter how tough we seem.

The commanding officers spent a lot of time informing us all about our enemies. Apparently, Panem wasn't the only country left when everything went to hell. Three remained. Midland, which is located in a place the old history books called the Middle East where a lot of previous wars were fought many years ago. Myrivius, which is located in what I guess, used to be called Europe, which has also been through a few wars in its time. The last is Zimurya, located in what used to be a continent called Africa that used to be plagued with civil wars for decades on end.

As of right now, Midland and Zimurya are allies fighting against Myrivius. It was Midland who bombed District Nine, forcing Panem to join this war that has been waging between these countries for almost five years now. We have yet to make any contact with Myrivius, but once we do, we are planning on becoming allies to defeat Midland and Zimurya.

"Finn!" Summer shouts as she practically throws herself into my arms. I hold her tightly to me, memorizing her scent.

"I've missed you so much," I tell her, nuzzling her neck with my nose.

"I've missed you, too," She replies, pulling away to give me a quick kiss. "I don't want to say goodbye again," Summer tells me, tears brewing in her eyes.

"I know, babe, but we'll be back together before you know it. I promise you," I tell her, giving her another quick kiss. I spend the next half an hour with my parents and my girlfriend. Mom is barely keeping her composure. I can't imagine how hard this must be for her, sending her son off to war after having fought in a war herself.

"Be safe," Dad tells me as he gives me a man hug. I have just a few more minutes before we board the naval ship.

"I will," I reply as we break apart. In dad's eyes, there is a mixture of fear, anxiety, and pride. Dad understands why I'm doing this. He understands my need to protect those that I love. Dad's always been able to get me more than some others have.

"I love you," Summer says, kissing my lips.

"I love you, too." I reply, giving Summer one last hug before heading off to board the ship with Liam. I turn around at the door of the ship and wave one last time to my parents and the love of my life, praying I'll be back here as soon as possible and safe and sound.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

The kitchen timer goes off and I grab the chicken parmesan I have prepared for dinner from the oven. Ivy will be home in just a few minutes and I have prepared us a beautiful, romantic dinner as tonight is our anniversary. I am hoping that, through my efforts, Ivy will stop pulling away from me. I am hoping she just has to understand that I still love her.

"Hey," I say as Ivy walks through the door of our apartment. She just gives me a nod in response. "I made dinner. Happy anniversary," I say, going up to give Ivy a kiss. She turns her head so I can't reach her lips.

"I'm not hungry," Ivy replies solemnly as she starts heading to our bedroom.

"Ivy, you need to eat. You just worked a thirty-six hour shift. You've got to be starving," I say.

"I ate before I came home," Ivy replies nonchalantly.

"Why would you do that? It's our anniversary. You know I always cook a nice dinner for us on our anniversary," I ask, befuddled. She knows I do this every single year. It's our tradition.

"Whatever," Ivy replies as she goes into our bedroom, ignoring me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I practically yell as I follow Ivy into the bedroom.

"Nothing is wrong with me. What's wrong with you?" Ivy asks me, turning to face me. I can see the flame of anger behind her eyes. She's challenging me to a fight.

"My wife is acting like a bitch, that's what's wrong," I snap, my nostrils flaring. Ivy's eyes go wide with anger. She grabs the closest thing to her, our framed wedding picture, and hurtles it at me. Luckily, I dodge it, but it ends up smashing onto the kitchen floor.

"You're an ass!" Ivy spits at me, shoving my chest so I end up stumbling outside of our room, before she slams the door in my face.

I sigh and then run my fingers through my hair. Great, this is just great. I walk over to the kitchen table, blow out the candles I lit and then clear the plates and put the food in the refrigerator. As I am walking to the living room, which will be my bedroom for an indefinite period of time, I hear a crunch beneath my foot. It's our wedding picture, with the glass smashed and the frame now broken into two. I pick up the photo, leaving the mess to clean up tomorrow.

Everything was perfect then. We were completely in love. We couldn't have been happier. And now . . . now everything was just falling apart. Every day it falls more and more apart and there's nothing I can do to make it stop. Maybe Ivy and I weren't as perfect for each other as I once thought we were.

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**Yeah, I'm kind of cruel, aren't I? What'd you think about my country names? They're kind of lame, LOL. And yes, I know Ivy is quite OOC right now, but it'll get better . . . eventually. Thanks for reading and please leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, Everybody! Here's your second chapter of the day! You should get at least one more before the end of the day. I'm actually really excited about this chapter, so I'm just going to let you read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Three

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

"Phoenix, Phoenix, wake up," I hear Harper say as she lightly shakes my shoulder. I blink my eyes open and see that it is three o'clock in the morning.

"What's wrong?" I ask my wife as I sit up and rub my eyes.

"Phoenix, I've been having contractions for a couple of hours." Harper tells me.

"What?" I ask her, suddenly becoming fully awake and alert.

"I've been having contractions since midnight. They weren't that close together, that's why I didn't wake you. But now they're ten minutes apart. The doctor told me that we should go to the hospital when they start getting that close together." Harper tells me. She sounds way to calm to be in active labor for the first time.

"Okay, okay, so we need to get to the hospital. I'll get your bags," I say as I get out of bed and pull a shirt on. Why bother changing out of my pajamas? I'm just going to be sitting around the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Harper and I are successfully on our way to the hospital. I was so freaked out when Harper woke me that I haven't had a moment to think about what is about to happen. In a matter of hours, Harper and I will finally have our baby girls. Our lives will forever be changed.

"Harper Mellark," I say to the lady at the front desk of the labor and delivery floor. "Her contractions are ten minutes apart. Her due date is next Tuesday." The lady behind the desk hands me some paper work to fill out as they get Harper situated in a room and hooked up to all kinds of monitors and IVs.

"How are you doing?" I ask Harper as I come to sit next to her.

"Pretty good," She tells me, interlocking our fingers as we talk. "The pain isn't too bad right now. I want to try and have them naturally. I don't want any pain medications."

"Are you sure?" I ask Harper. I'm sure she would be fine without the pain medication. She's a very strong woman. I'm more worried for myself. I don't think I could watch the love of my life in as much pain that I know childbirth is.

"I'll be fine." Harper tells me, kissing my cheek.

"As long as you're sure," I reply. "And if you change your mind, then I'll make sure you get something for your pain."

"You're such a good husband," Harper says, giving me a peck on the lips.

_*Four Hours into Labor*_

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I ask Harper.

"Yes. Phoenix, you're exhausted. Go get some coffee or something to eat. You've been doing such a great job of taking care of me. Now, you need to take care of yourself." Harper tells me, urging me to go and take a break from constantly being at her side.

"Alright," I cave. "I won't be long." I tell Harper, giving her a quick kiss before heading down to the cafeteria.

"Phoenix, what are you doing here?" I look over when I hear my name and see my sister, Ivy, walking over to me wearing some scrubs. Well, she must be working.

"Um, well, Harper is actually in labor," I reply, a huge smile forming on my face.

"That's great!" Ivy exclaims, pulling me in for a hug. Despite her congratulations, Ivy can't hide the twinge of pain that flashes through her eyes.

"Hey, can we talk?" I ask Ivy. She's been kind of distant from everyone lately and I'm afraid that she and Alex are on the rocks. As her big brother, it's my job to get to the bottom of what's bothering her.

"Sure," Ivy replies. So, we sit down at a cafeteria table and start talking.

"So, tell me, honestly, how you've been doing these last couple of months," I tell Ivy.

"I've been fine," Ivy replies, lying right through her teeth.

"Don't lie to me," I tell her.

"Fine, I've been horrible. All I can think about is my dead baby and how I'm a failure. Alex and I haven't even talked since last week, when we had a fight. And that's my fault too because I've been ignoring him because I don't want to hurt him anymore than I already have." Ivy let's go, as if a dam has been broken.

"You're not a failure," I tell her. "And you and Alex will be fine. I'm sure of it. You just need to give it a chance. You both experienced something that was emotionally traumatic. You need to give it some time. Eventually, everything will be okay."

"I hope you're right." Ivy replies. "Sorry, but I have to go. My lunch is over. Page me when Harper gets close to giving birth."

"Will do," I reply, hugging my sister. I finish the sandwich I was eating and then head back upstairs to my wife.

"How are you doing?" I ask her when I sit back down next to Harper.

"It hurts some more and the contractions are closer together now. The doctor just did a check and I'm five centimeters dilated." She replies.

"Half way there," I say with a smile, clasping Harper's hand as another contraction approaches.

_*Twelve hours into Labor*_

"Alright, Harper, just a bit more and then you can start pushing. We just need one more centimeter." The doctor tells us after checking Harper's cervix once more. Harper is covered in a thick sheen of sweat and her breathing is getting ragged, but she is still refusing any pain medication.

About two hours ago, both mine and Harper's parents arrived, along with the rest of my side of the family, minus Finn and Liam who were recently deployed and can't be here. Mom, dad, Hugh, and Linda are all very excited to meet their very first grandbaby. Mom and Linda especially are. Lilac has started freaking out, as she is only about a month from her due date. She's absolutely terrified of the pain of labor. That is so something my sister would freak out about.

Ivy and Alex have been sitting together awkwardly with the rest of the family. They never told anyone in District 12 about their pregnancy and, obviously, haven't said anything about their miscarriage, so they have to act like everything is perfectly fine between them.

"Alright, Harper, it's time to push. Are you ready?" The doctor asks Harper as she pulls on a pair of latex gloves for the delivery. Harper just nods and takes a deep breath. "Alright, push," the doctor instructs. As she starts pushing, Harper starts squeezing my hand harder than ever. As she keeps pushing and squeezing my hand, I can't help but marvel at my wife's amazing strength. I don't think I could ever do anything like this.

After half an hour of pushing, the first cries of my first born daughter are heard in the delivery room. The tears that have been threatening to fall all night are now rolling down my cheeks as I cut my first born, Hailey Lilac Mellark', umbilical cord. After a few moments' rest and a few kisses, Harper is back to pushing, this time working to get our second baby girl into this world.

Hadley Ivy Mellark takes only fifteen minutes to enter this world, half the time of her older sister. Harper and I are both crying and laughing at the same time as we watch the nurses clean off our baby girls and then take all their measurements.

"We did it," I whisper to Harper, kissing her cheek. Two nurses come over with Hailey and Hadley wrapped in little pink blankets and wearing little pink hats.

"They're perfect," I tell my wife as she holds Hailey and I hold Hadley; daddy's baby girls.

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**Guys, I might cry. This is just the happiest thing ever, at least in this story it is. Finally, we get some happy tears flowing out! I'm just so happy right now! Or really over tired, not sure which one yet . . . Alright, well, the next chapter will star these newest little additions to the Mellark family tree and an ending I'm sure you'll all love ;). Thanks for reading and please review! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, Everybody! I was worried for a minute because Fanfiction just would not load! And I was worried I wouldn't be able to get this chapter up and this is like my favorite chapter of the day. I really like this one. I told you things were going to get better now! :) Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Peeta Mellark's POV

"Hey, are you guys up for some visitors?" I ask my son and his wife in a whisper.

"Yeah, come on in," Phoenix replies in a whisper. Hugh, Linda, Katniss, and I all file into the delivery room. Phoenix and Harper are each cradling a small pink bundle.

"Would you like to meet your grandbabies?" Harper asks us all with a smile. It's a unanimous yes, obviously, and Harper and Phoenix introduce us to their babies.

"Well, this right here is Hailey Lilac Mellark," Harper says, shifting the baby girl in her arms so we can see her peaceful, sleeping face. We all take a moment to enjoy this new baby's sleeping figure. She is quite adorable, with little tuffs of brown hair sticking out of her little pink baby hat.

"And this, this is Hadley Ivy Mellark," Phoenix tells us, shifting Hadley in his arms so that we can see her cute little face, too. Well, that's it, these two baby girls are probably the most adorable things I've ever seen.

"You stuck with the tradition," Linda says with misty eyes.

"Yeah, it was Phoenix's idea, actually. He thought it would be nice to keep the tradition." Harper replies.

"Do you guys want to hold them?" Phoenix asks. Of course we're all eager to hold our first grandbabies. Harper passes Hailey to Linda and Hugh while Phoenix passes Hadley to Katniss and me.

"She is so adorable," Katniss says as she cradles the tiny baby in her arms. "I remember the first time I held you and your sister," Katniss tells Phoenix. "I never thought something so small could make me feel so much love."

"I feel the same way right now," Phoenix says with a smile. Linda and Katniss exchange babies and then Katniss passes me baby Hadley.

"Oh, yes, I can see that you are definitely going to enjoy baking with grandpa Peeta, won't you? We'll have so much fun together, just like when your daddy and Auntie Ivy were little babies." I coo to baby Hadley, who has now opened her tiny little eyes. As of right now it's hard to tell what color eyes she will have for certain, but it looks like she might end up with Phoenix's crystal blues, which he inherited from me.

After about half an hour, we all decide that we better let someone else in the family have a turn with these new cuties. Being the grandparents does come with its perks and prioritization, but I am sure Lilac and Ivy are just as anxious to meet their new nieces.

"Dad, could you do me a favor and send Alex and Ivy in next? But make it just the two of them," Phoenix requests.

"Sure thing, buddy," I reply as I head back out to the waiting room.

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Hey, your brother wants you and Alex to go in next," Dad tells me as he comes out of Harper and Phoenix's room. I nod and then Alex and I head into the room.

"Hey," I greet as I walk in, Alex coming behind me. "How are you all feeling?" I ask as I take a seat in one of the chairs beside the bed Harper is sitting in. Despite having just given birth, Harper looks absolutely beautiful and I think she might be glowing.

"A lot better now that I'm holding my baby girls," Harper replies. She currently has both of her twin girls in her arms as she sits in her hospital bed. I feel guilty when I feel a twinge of envy run through me. I shouldn't be jealous right now. I should be happy for my brother and his wife.

"Are you going to introduce us?" I ask my brother, gesturing towards my new nieces.

"Well, this is Hailey Lilac Mellark," Phoenix says, running a finger over the tiny back of the baby closest to me. "And this is Hadley Ivy Mellark," He continues, caressing his other daughter's cheek.

"You named her after me?" I ask in complete shock. I really was not expecting them to do that.

"You're my big sister and I have a feeling that you and these two are going to have a lot of fun together," Phoenix tells me with a smile. I can tell that he is thinking along the lines the fact that I might never have my own kids. I smile back at my brother, glad he understands me.

For the next three hours, Hailey and Hadley meet everyone in the family who is here. Mom pulls out a picture of Finn and Uncle Gale pulls out a picture of Liam so that we can introduce Finn and Liam to the twins, too, even though they can't be here. All the parents decide that now is a great time to share incredibly embarrassing stories about us all from when we were just little babies. My personal favorite is the story of when Phoenix peed on Effie when Effie and Haymitch babysat my brother and me.

As the time goes by, I notice that Alex is the happiest I've seen him in . . . months; which is kind of pathetic because he's not even overtly happy or anything right now. And I know that that is completely my fault. I've been just shutting him out in hopes that I won't hurt him anymore than I already have. I mean, he must be dying inside since he can't have any of his own babies because I'm too screwed up to. I just . . . I just don't want to hurt him anymore.

But, what if I've been hurting him this whole time? I mean, I really didn't think ignoring him would make him upset. I guess . . . I guess I have been pretty selfish lately, only trying to do what's convenient for me. I suppose I never really thought about how this would affect Alex. And we have been fighting a lot lately. A week ago I threw a picture frame with our wedding photo in it at him. I missed, thankfully, but I still threw it at him intending to hurt him. I can't believe I've been such a bitch!

The nurses kick us out around seven p.m., telling us visiting hours start at eight o'clock in the morning and that we can come back then if we would like to. Harper and the twins should be getting out of the hospital tomorrow afternoon, too. I hug my brother and sister-in-law and then give my two new nieces kisses on the cheeks before Alex and I leave the hospital.

Back at our apartment, Alex head over to the couch, where he has been sleeping for the past week, ever since our big fight. I watch him silently as he adjusts his pillows and switches on the TV. I can't believe I've been acting the way I have towards him, especially after everything that he's done for me. He doesn't deserve to be treated the way I have been treating him. He deserves better than me.

"Alex, can . . . can we talk?" I anxiously ask him, taking a seat on the couch/his bed.

"Sure," Alex replies, plopping down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Um . . . I guess . . . I guess I just want to say that I'm sorry about the way I've been acting lately. I shouldn't have been taking out my emotions on you. You've been nothing but good to me and you deserve to be treated better. I was just upset, which isn't an excuse for what I did. I'm sorry," I apologize, averting my gaze from Alex's blue-grey eyes.

"Hey, look at me," Alex says, using his fingers to tilt my head up so we are making eye contact. "It's okay. I know you were upset. I'm not mad at you or anything. I couldn't be made at you if I tried. I love you and that's never going to change." I have to hold back tears as Alex says these words to me. I was so afraid that he would be mean and not forgive me, just to be a jerk. I should have known better though. Alex isn't like that.

"Um, I had another question for you, too." I say. This is something I really hadn't thought about until I saw Phoenix and Harper with their new baby girls.

"What is it?" Alex asks.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd be . . . if you'd like to . . . could we try for a baby, just one more time?" I finally stammer out. Seeing Phoenix and Harper holding their babies made me really rethink my decision to stop trying for a baby. That was a stupid decision. I've always wanted to be a mother and I guess that desire doesn't just go away overnight.

"Of course we can try for a baby," Alex replies, a huge grin spreading over his face. He opens his arms for a hug and I don't hesitate for a second before throwing myself into them.

"Maybe it'll work this time," I tell him, lying my head on his chest. Oh, it feels very nice to be back in Alexander Abernathy's arms again.

"The third time's the charm," Alex replies with a smile, kissing the top of my head.

* * *

**I told you you guys didn't need to worry! Man, I had people afraid they were going to get a divorce. C'mon, would I do that to them? (The correct answer is NO) So, now we get to see if the third time really is the charm (by now, it should be pretty obvious ;)). You might get another chapter tonight. I'm not sure, it depends. But there is a 99% chance you'll get a chapter tomorrow. The only reason you wouldnt would be if I got an ungodly amount of homework and if my study hall doesn't make a dent in it. Which is very unlikely. So, your odds are pretty good. Thanks so much for reading! Please leave me a review and tell me how happy you are! Coming up soon: Another round of in-vitro, the birth of a certain Mellark-Hemlock baby, and some combat action!  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, Everybody! Last chapter of the night and I'm pretty sure you'll all enjoy it! So, without further ado, read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Can you do this one for me?" I ask Alex, holding up the syringe with the hormones that I've been injecting into my body for the last two weeks. Today is the last day of these particular injections. This afternoon, Alex and I are going to Dr. Styles' office to try our hand at in-vitro fertilization one more time. We talked and mutually agreed that, if we don't get pregnant this time, we'll adopt. We haven't decided if we'd adopted an older child or a baby, but they'll be a time to discuss that later. Now, we have to focus on today.

"Sure thing," Alex replies, taking the syringe from me. He counts to three before injecting it into my thigh for me. After doing it myself for two weeks, I just can't take it anymore. Thankfully, I have a very caring and considerate husband. After he pulls the needle from my thigh, Alex leans down and plants a gentle kiss right over the injection sight.

"I really hope it works this time," I say, wrapping my arm around Alex's neck and pulling him for a tight hug. Ever since we patched things up, I've made sure to become ten times more affectionate with him. I still feel so bad about the way I treated him. I can't believe he put up with it. If I was him, I would have left me a long time ago.

"Whatever happens happens. There's nothing we can do about it. What we can control is how we let it affect us." Alex replies, hugging me tightly back.

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," I say, kissing Alex's chest.

Today is one of those rare days where Alex and I both have the day off, so we decided we would go and visit Phoenix and Harper to see our new beautiful nieces. I feel like those two little girls saved my marriage. If they hadn't come along when they did, Alex and I probably would have fallen farther and farther away from each other and maybe even ended up splitting up. Today, we're stronger than ever.

At Phoenix and Harper's, Phoenix and Alex go down into Phoenix's "man cave" while Harper and I stay in the living room and talk about baby stuff. I feel like Harper knows everything about babies, even though she's only been a mother for a few weeks.

"Shouldn't you know more than me? You're the pediatrician," She asks me as we sit, each of us with a little girl sleeping in our laps.

"Oh, I know just about everything medically, I just don't know anything about changing diapers, getting them to stop crying, feeding schedules, sleeping schedules. Really, I'm going to be so lost if we have a baby." I chuckle.

"You'll be fine. It's kind of a natural instinct once it happens. You and Alex are going to be great parents." Harper tells me. After a nice lunch with my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces, Alex and I head to the hospital for our in-vitro.

"Let me just say that it is nice to see you both once again," Dr. Styles says as we make ourselves at home in his procedure room. Dr. Styles has become more than just a doctor to the both of us. He's almost like a part of our family.

"It's nice to be back. The third time is the charm, right?" I ask teasingly.

"I sure hope so," He replies as he sets everything up for the procedure. I lie back on the table, clutching Alex's hand, and let Dr. Styles work his magic. Alex and I decided on five embryos, once again, to enhance our chances of conceiving. Once the procedure is over, Dr. Styles stays with us as we wait the hour that I have to lying down for.

"I'll see you in two weeks," Dr. Styles says as we walk out of his office.

"I love you," I tell Alex as he kisses along my shoulder.

"I love you, too," Alex murmurs against my soft skin. As Alex's kisses begin to cover my neck, I lean back into his embrace. It's been so long since Alex and I have been intimate. At least four months. That's just way too long to go for me and, obviously, for Alex, too.

"You are the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth," Alex tells me as he peels my shirt and then my pants from my body. He sheds his own shirt and pants before resuming his kisses. I pull Alex closer to me, wrapping my arms around him as he kisses me. Without untangling ourselves from one another, Alex and I both manage to remove our last bits of clothing. During a long, passionate kiss, Alex enters me. We move together, skin on skin, pleasure filling us to the brink. I shudder as I reach my peak. A few thrusts later, Alex follows me over the edge. We fall asleep together, a tangle of arms and legs.

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Good morning," Alex says with a smile as I walk into the kitchen. Alex is standing at the stove, in nothing but his boxer shorts, cooking what I smell is bacon and eggs.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" I ask him as I take a seat at the kitchen table.

"I thought you'd like the view," Alex replies with a cocky grin and a waggle of his eyebrows as he hands me a plate of food and a cup of orange juice. I just roll my eyes and dig into my breakfast. As we are eating, my hand finds Alex's and our fingers automatically intertwine.

"Today is the day," I say, squeezing Alex's hand.

"I have a good feeling about it," Alex tells me, leaning over to kiss my lips.

"I hope you're right," I reply. Alex and I clean up the kitchen and pick up the living room before going to shower together. Once we are all showered and dressed, Alex and I head over to the hospital. We got the earliest appointment with Dr. Styles we could, knowing that waiting all day would just kill us.

"Good morning," Dr. Styles says. "I can see that you two are about as excited as I am,"

"Probably more," I reply with a smile. In the exam room, a nurse draws my blood and then rushes it down to the lab. It's nice that everyone kind of puts our labs on rush here. I guess everyone else wants to know just as badly as we do. Workplace gossip is worse than small town gossip sometimes.

"Alright, it's the moment of truth," Dr. Styles says as he holds up the file that contains the results to my blood test. After looking over the file for just a moment, Dr. Styles' face breaks out into a huge grin. I know what that means.

"Congratulations," He says. I practically launch myself into Alex's arms.

"We did it," I tell him, kissing his lips.

"We did it," Alex repeats.

"Now, I'll have a nurse schedule you an appointment for two weeks from now for your first ultrasound. That's when we'll be able to see how many of the embryos were successfully implanted into your uterus. Congratulations, again," Dr. Styles tells us.

"This is so perfect," I tell Alex as we walk hand in hand out of the hospital. Alex opens his mouth to say something, but he is cut off by the sound of my phone ringing.

"Hello," I answer.

"Ivy, it is Ash. Lilac wanted me to call you. We're at the hospital. Lilac's in labor."

* * *

**I told you you'd like it! Isn't this just great! Ivy is pregnant! Lilac's in labor! It's perfect timing! :D Hopefully you'll get a chapter tomorrow. I'll try my best! Until then, thanks for reading and please leave me a review! Thanks!  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, Everybody! I'm sorry. Normally you would have like two chapters by now. I've just been a zombie all day. I've had a headache since I woke up this morning and I am just SO exhausted! So, you guys only get this one today, so I really hope it's okay. It probably sucks because I'm so tired so sorry about that. Go ahead, read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Six

Ash Hemlock's POV

"You son of a bitch! We are never having sex ever again. Do you hear me? I'm serious; never again!" Lilac shouts at me as she experiences yet another contraction. Seven hours; we've been here seven hours and she's already threatened me at least a dozen times. It's okay. Despite the profanity and the insulting, I know she loves me. She's just in pain and decided that she doesn't want the epidural, unless she absolutely needs it. She wants to do this naturally and I support her.

"You're doing great, honey." I reply smiling despite Lilac's very pissed off expression. It kills me to see her in pain, but, then again, I can't wait to meet our little baby. We've been waiting nine months for this. The nursery is painted and all set up. Our house is baby proofed. We have a car seat in our car. The only thing missing is the baby.

I've been dying to know if our baby is a boy or a girl. I'm kind of hoping it will be a boy because Phoenix and Harper had two girls. I've never been too athletic, but I think it would be nice teaching my son how to shoot hoops and play the guitar. Then again, I would love to have a little girl just like Lilac. She'd be so cute and bubbly. Either way, I'll be ecstatic.

"I can't believe I let you knock me up! This is entirely your fault!" Lilac yells at me as another contraction courses through the muscles of her uterus. The only thing I can do is let her squeeze my hand as hard as she wants to and not say anything. If I could take her pain away, I would. Unfortunately, I can't.

"Ash, can you get Ivy for me? I really want my sister," Lilac asks me in a pleading tone.

"Of course I can, sweetheart," I reply, kissing Lilac on the cheek quick before heading out to the waiting room. About an hour after Lilac first went into active labor, I went and called everyone so they can be here for the birth. Katniss and Peeta, who were just here last month for the birth of Phoenix and Harper's twin girls, were overjoyed when I called them, as were my parents.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Hey, Lilac wants you," Ash tells me as he walks out of the room my sister is in right now.

"How is she?" I ask him, standing up from the uncomfortable waiting room chair I have been sitting in for an hour.

"She's pissed at me and every other word is a swear word, but I know she doesn't mean any of it," Ash replies with a ghost of a smile.

"It's pretty exciting, huh?" I ask him.

"Oh yeah," He replies. "I can't wait to meet this little baby."

"Me either," I agree before heading in to see my little sister.

"Hey," I say as I walk into the hospital room. Lilac, who must be in between contractions, smiles when she sees me and gestures for me to take the seat next to her bed.

"I have no idea how Harper did this," Lilac tells me. Her face and hair are damp with sweat, as is the rest of her body I am sure. Despite this, somehow, Lilac still manages to look as beautiful as ever.

"You'll be fine," I reply with a smile. "Just wait until your holding your little baby in your arms," I tell her.

"Oh, I really can't wait," Lilac replies, her smile growing wider.

"Can I tell you something?" I ask Lilac. For some reason, I feel like now is the best time to tell Lilac that I'm pregnant, even though we just found out and something bad could still happen.

"Of course you can," Lilac replies.

"Well, Alex and I just had a doctor's appointment and, well, we're pregnant!" I tell my sister. I swear, if she wasn't nine months pregnant and in active labor, Lilac would have jumped ten feet in the air and let out a shout of joy.

"Oh my goodness, this is so wonderful and amazing and I can't believe it! Give me a hug!" Lilac shouts, opening her arms for a hug. I comply and can't help but chuckle as Lilac starts ranting about how our kids are going to be best friends forever and they're going to do everything together.

"My big sister is going to be a mommy! And, I know you're worried it won't work out, but I have a really good feeling about this time! This is it, Ivy, you're going to get your baby!" Lilac tells me, hugging me tightly.

"Thank you," I reply. "I really hope everything goes smoothly from here on out."

"I'm sure it will and -" Lilac stops mid-sentence and furrows her eyebrows; definitely a contraction. I give her my hand and she squeezes it tightly.

"Are you alright?" I ask Lilac as she visibly relaxes.

"Yeah," She replies. "They've been getting closer and closer together and more intense as the hours have passed."

"Has the doctor been in to check your cervix?" I ask her. Just as I finish my sentence, Lilac's doctor comes into the room to check Lilac's cervix.

"Well, Miss Mellark, I do believe it's time to push. You are ten centimeters dilated and you're a hundred percent effaced." The doctor says.

"Ivy, can you have Ash come back in? I want you to stay in here with me, though, okay?" Lilac asks.

"Of course," I reply before going to get Ash.

Ash Hemlock's POV

"Lilac's getting ready to push," Ivy tells me, poking her head out of the hospital room. This is it! I'll be meeting my baby soon!

Ivy takes one of Lilac's hands and I take the other, getting ready for Lilac to start pushing. Lilac's next contraction comes and the doctor tells her to push. As she pushes, she squeezes both mine and Ivy's hands and lets out a few high pitched screams. It takes Lilac almost an hour of pushing, a long hour of agonizing pushing, for the baby to finally come out. I guess that little one was on a schedule of their own.

"Congratulations," The doctor says. "It's a boy," A son! I have a baby boy!

"A baby boy," I whisper as my lips meet Lilac's in a tender kiss. "You did it, babe. You're so amazing," I tell her, kissing her lips again. The nurses clean off our baby boy and then place him in Lilac's arms. He is so tiny and completely adorable. I manage to hold back my tears of happiness, but Lilac and Ivy are just letting them fall freely. I was glad that Ivy got to be here for Lilac for this. They have a great sister-sister relationship.

"What are you going to name him?" Ivy asks, pulling a chair up close to Lilac's bed.

"Oh, Ash, I don't know. What are we going to name him?" Lilac asks me, looking into my eyes.

"Well, we had the names narrowed down to a few. There were Adam and Jackson and Ace, I think." I reply, staring at my new little baby boy. I can't believe I'm a father!

"Oh, I like Ace! Ace Finn Hemlock; how does that sound?" Lilac asks me, cradling our baby boy to her chest.

"I love it," I tell her. "Daddy loves you, Ace," I murmur against Ace's little head, covered in a soft down of blonde hair and then I kiss his head, welcoming my son to the world.

* * *

**I know it's short, but there is no way I could have made it any longer. I am completely exhausted. I'll probably fall asleep in the middle of Bones. Ugh, and I have a chemistry test tomorrow and I still havent't read the chapters for my lit class. We're reading Huckleberry Finn which is almost literally the worst book I've ever read, seriously. So, thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review. (And hope I'm not getting sick, because that would really mess up my writing, if you even got any chapters. I wouldn't stay home because I can't afford it so my life would literally be school and sleep and nothing else. So, fingers crossed/prayers I don't get sick. Thanks!)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, Everybody! I'm feeling a little better, but not all that much. But, you'll most likely get another chapter or two tonight (thank my physics teacher, she moved our quiz to Thursday). We're moving into some of the stuff I just can't wait to write so I might start writing more/better. I hope I live up to your expectations! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lilac Mellark's POV

"Hi baby boy, mommy loves you so much," I coo to my newborn son as I cradle him in my arms, close to my chest.

"He is so beautiful. So are you," Ash says, kissing my lips.

"He's handsome, just like his daddy," I reply, using my fingers to gently smooth down Ace's baby soft blonde hair. Whether he got his hair color from Ash or me, we'll never know. Nonetheless, it looks just adorable on him. I am also happy that it seems that Ace will end up with his father's green eyes, which I was hoping he would. Ash's green eyes are much more intriguing then my boring grey ones.

"I can't believe he's here. He's here and he's all ours," Ash says, obviously in awe.

"I love you," I tell Ash, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"I love you, too, and I love our little baby boy," Ash replies, running a finger gently against Ace's little round cheek. We remain in silence for a few minutes before we are interrupted by my sister, who decided to leave the room to give Ash and I a few minutes of privacy.

"Mom and dad and, well, everyone else, wants to meet the newest edition to the family." She tells us. I tell her to let them in, but to make sure they stay quiet. I would hate to wake baby Ace up, he's had quite an exhausting day, being born and all.

"He is so adorable," Mom says as she and dad come right up my bedside.

"He is quite a handsome little fella," Dad says, smiling down at me. I pass Ace off to his maternal grandmother. My mom and Johanna, Ash's mom, spend the next twenty minutes cooing over Ace, along with all the other women in the family. Ash finds it completely hilarious that his son already has a harem of women who want him to love them.

"He is definitely going to be a heartbreaker when he's a teenager," Nash, Ash's dad, says.

"Of course he is! He takes after me in the looks department," I tease Ash.

"I'll let you believe that," Ash tells me with a wink. Everyone stays for a good two hours. Ivy and Alex tell everyone else the news about their pregnancy. Mom and dad, of course, go nuts, as do Effie and Haymitch. I know that no one else knows about their miscarriage, so I don't say anything about being sure that this time will work out for them. I know Ivy didn't tell them for a reason.

We spend a while talking about how we wish Finn and Liam could be around for this. We're all curious about where Destiny has been all this time, but we all just figure that she and Liam broke up before he was deployed in their usual, on again, off again relationship pattern. I really do wish my twin brother had been here to see his nephew born, but I'm sure Finn is doing great things in the Panem Navy. I just can't wait until he gets back so he can meet his nephew and two nieces.

"Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it. So, in nine months when you're getting ready to pop, I'll be here to get you whatever you need." I reply, letting Ivy go.

"Here, I'll put him in the crib," Ash says, gesturing for me to hand him Ace, who is still completely sound asleep. Surprisingly, he didn't wake up once during the whole time that the family was in here. That's pretty surprising, considering how loud my family is.

"I hope he sleeps like this when we get him home," I reply, sitting up straighter in the hospital bed. Ash and I sit together, just talking or enjoying the silence, for a while. The nurse comes in with a menu from the hospital cafeteria. Since my sister works here, I know exactly what's good and what isn't. About twenty minutes after we ordered our food, a nurse comes in and gives it to us.

Ash and I eat together, enjoying our last meal in silence. We both know that, after tonight, our nights are most likely going to be quite chaotic. Ash and I both decided to put off recording any new music of our own for a few months so that we can focus all of our attention on baby Ace.

His nursery was completed last week, with the help of my big brother, Phoenix, who did all the painting. Phoenix and Ash spent a while putting together all the furniture and then setting it all up the way I thought it looked best. Honestly, I love how adorable Ace's bedroom is, with the little ducks on the walls and the oak furniture and all his tiny, adorable clothes.

"I love you," Ash says, taking my hand in his as we sit together in our hospital room. Ace is still miraculously asleep so Ash and I are actually a little bored. There is absolutely nothing on TV and the hospital has nothing to read but outdated magazines.

"I love you, too." I tell him, running my fingers through his blonde waves.

"Lilac, can I ask you something without you freaking out about it?" Ash asks me. Uh, oh, this can't be good.

"Sure," I reply.

"Alright, just, promise me you'll seriously think about it before you say anything, okay?" Ash asks.

"I promise," I tell him. He seems nervous and his hands are getting clammy.

"Well, Lilac, we're been together for almost ten years. We've known each other since birth. I've always considered you one of my best friends, if not my best friend of all. Over the years, I've gotten to know you more and more, but there are some things that you do that completely surprise me. You make my life interesting. You keep me on edge.

"When you found out you were pregnant, I know you were scared and worried. You were afraid that I would leave you and, Lilac, you shouldn't have been. Lilac, I love you more than anything else in this world. I couldn't imagine my life without you and, now, I couldn't imagine my life without our baby. Lilac, I want to become a family, a real family. Lilac Violet Mellark, will you marry me?" Ash asks, pulling a simple two karat diamond ring from the pocket of his blue jeans. Tears are threatening to spill out from my eyes. I never imagined Ash would propose now and like this. But, there couldn't have been a better time for him to do it.

"Yes! Yes, Ash, I will marry you!" I reply, tears falling down my cheeks. Ash's face breaks out into a huge, goofy grin. We kiss, our lips meeting in passion. So many emotions are coursing through my body right now, not to mention all my hormones are just going completely crazy.

"I can't wait until you take my last name," Ash whispers against my lips, looking at me with so much love in his eyes I feel like my heart might actually explode from it all.

"I can't wait, either. Ash, you are my best friend. You've been by my side since the day I was born. And now, now we get to embark on this amazing, new journey together. Ace couldn't have a better father," I tell my now fiancé. A family; I am building my very own family onto the family I have been a part of my entire life. Is there any better way to do it?

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**Yes, I know the ending sucks. I didn't really know how to end this so I just left it how it just kind of happened. Hopefully you don't think it's too lame. More to come some time tonight, so be prepared! They'll be happiness and so shock, bu always remember that everything works out for the best in the end (if you still don't believe me!). Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey, Everybody! Second chapter of the day! I am going to speed type so I can get you one more before I go to bed! I am feeling a lot better than yesterday and I'm hoping another good night's sleep will put me back to normal. Anyhow, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Finn Mellark's POV

Liam and I have been deployed now for about two months. It's been a quite easy two months, or so says our commanding officer. I spend most of my time cleaning on of the three huge naval ships that our naval forces are using. Liam spends 99% of his time down below the deck of the ship, way down in the engine room doing his engineer magic.

So far, we haven't seen much action. Really, we haven't seen much of anything but rolling waves of sea water since we set out from District Four two months ago. It was kind of tough on a lot of the guys, including Liam. They all ended up spending the first two weeks on the ship being seasick. A lot of them also had a hard time keeping their footing on the continually moving surface. After a while, they all earned their sea legs, but they're all still surprised that I handled it as well I as I did. I guess I was just built to be one with the sea.

I am, once again, scrubbing the one of the many bathroom floors when the tone sounds over the intercom that tells us we are all to meet at attention on the front deck. This hasn't happened yet on this particular journey, but I've been told that it only happens when something bad is impending upon us.

"Men, our radar shows that there are five enemy ships less than a mile east of us. At the rate we are moving, our paths should cross in less than fifteen minutes. Before that happens, we need every weapon and every man ready to serve. Get to your stations and hold your ground, no matter what happens," Officer Kent tells us. He's the man that has been leading us since the moment we stepped onto this boat. If there's anyone I trust most, besides Liam, it's Officer Kent.

All the men, including me, move to our previously assigned stations. Liam is stationed down in the engineering room, ready to make any needed modifications as our big, badass ship goes through its first actual battle. We've used ships like these in simulations for training, but this is the first time most of us have been in actual battle.

I am stationed at one of twenty four large, cannon like guns on the right side of the ship, the side that the enemy ships will be appearing first. Despite the countless number of hours I have spent training, I am still nervous that I will somehow mess up. Honestly, the odds of me or anyone else dying in this encounter on our side are very, very slim. They might have more ships, but we have better weapons, that is for sure.

Ten minutes after I have gotten into position, I see their ships moving through the fog for the first time. Their huge, steel ships cut through the fog like a knife through butter. Big and ominous, they push ahead, straight for us. I feel a tightly wound ball of nerves settling in my stomach. I take a deep breath and then position myself to shoot at Officer Kent's orders.

As our enemies' ships get closer and closer, it is easy to make out the flags of both Midland and Zimurya. I've been briefed on all the things that Midland has done over the last five years of this war to prisoners of war from Myrivius. It was truly awful and disgusting. These countries are definitely dirty fighters.

Midland and Zimurya's ships come closer and closer to us, leaving barely a thousand yards between our ships. It is hard to tell whether or not they are going to fire at us. From what I can see, there are no men on the deck of their ship. Just as my eyes are searching more in depth for any soldiers on their ship, I see a red spark and hear the deafening crack of a firing machine gun.

Barely a moment later, Officer Kent gives us the order to fire our own weapons. I was afraid that, when the moment of battle was thrust upon me, I would forget how to do everything that was drilled into me in training. Now, I realize I was mistaken. I have done this so much and I have practiced it so diligently, that it is practically second nature to me. I fire my weapon continually. When I run out of ammunition, I restock my machine gun and then continue firing. Our three ships fire at their five ships for what seems like a lifetime though I am sure it is less than half an hour.

We are ordered to cease our fire. We all wait as the smoke clears, anxiously holding our breaths. We all want to know if we have won this battle or if the fighting will have to continue. The thick smoke finally begins to thin enough to where you can make out the forms of the enemy ships as they retreat back to the east. We have done it. We've won our first battle! The elation is quite obvious on our ship. We are all proud of ourselves. And we should be, we have kept our country and loved ones safe for one more day.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Good morning," Ivy says to me through sleepy eyes. We are lying next to each other in bed, skin on skin.

"Good morning," I reply, kissing my wife's lips tenderly. This morning, we have our first ultrasound appointment with Dr. Styles. At this appointment, we are going to find out how many of the implanted embryos have successfully implanted into Ivy uterine wall.

"I can't wait until our appointment," Ivy says, placing her head on my bare chest and looking up at me with her gorgeous grey eyes. Thankfully, we don't have to wait too long for our appointment. It's at nine and it is already seven thirty. Ivy and I pass the time by cleaning up our apartment, making out on the couch like a couple of teenagers, checking out houses online, and, once again, making out. Ever since Ivy and I got passed our rocky period, we haven't been able to keep our hands off of each other. It actually feels kind of nice to be able to just make out with my wife like we're teenagers again. Lately, we've been nothing but stressed out. This is a very nice and welcomed change of pace.

An hour later, Ivy and I walk off the elevator and onto the floor of Dr. Styles' office. As soon as we step out of the elevator, I feel my heart rate just automatically jump. Ivy and I have heard so much back news on this floor, that it's become second nature for me to expect the worst to always be happening.

"Ivy, Alex, it's nice to see you both again. Ivy, how have you been feeling?" Dr. Styles asks Ivy as he leads us into his exam room.

"Well, I have been feeling a little nauseous and tired for the last week. But, I suppose that's a good thing, right?" Ivy replies.

"Yes. Nausea and fatigue are common early symptoms of pregnancy." Dr. Styles says. "Now, today we're going to do your first ultrasound and see how many little, tiny heart beats we can find." Dr. Styles tells us both with a smile. Ivy lies back onto the exam room chair and lifts her shirt. Dr. Styles puts some gel onto Ivy's stomach and then turns the ultrasound machine on, moving the wand around.

Dr. Styles studies the image on the screen in silence for a long time. While I may be a very intelligent man, the picture on the screen means absolutely nothing to me. I know next to nothing about the world of medical science. Instantly, my brain goes to anything and everything that could be wrong. Neither Ivy nor I could bare another miscarriage on our fragile shoulders. If it's anything else, we can work through it. Anything but a miscarriage and I shall count that, in itself, as a miracle.

"What is it?" I ask Dr. Styles. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong at all. Actually, things are quite right." Dr. Styles replies.

"What do you mean?" Ivy asks, reaching out for my hand. I take her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly as I wait intently for Dr. Styles to respond.

"Well, Ivy, it would seem that you are pregnant with triplets," Dr. Styles says, a huge smile forming on his face. Triplets; we're going to have triplets! Three babies; that's three babies! This is . . . this unbelievable, fantastic, amazing, wonderful, and just about any other adjective I can't think of right now. We're having _three _babies! I can't . . . this is crazy!

Ivy and I share a kiss. Like two weeks before when we found out we were pregnant, Ivy and I are laughing and crying at all the same time. This was the last thing I expected. I would have considered just one baby a fantastic miracle, but three? This is something pulled straight from my wildest dreams. After all the heartbreak and pain we've been through, to be blessed so richly as this, I am completely astonished. Ivy and I have finally gotten our miracle and I'm sure our happily ever after can't be far behind.

* * *

**I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY! And yet, you all doubted me still! Now, instead of just one baby, you get three all at one time! Three for the price of one! (I'm so clever, hardy har har!) Now, I know you all want to suggest names and everything, but I've had their kids named since before I even started this. I, personally, love the names I chose and I hope that you will, too. Now, I'm not going to be able to update tomorrow most likely as I have an orthodontist appointment and a physics quiz. Thursday, is almost a certain that you will get at least one chapter. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey, Everybody! Here is your last chapter of the day. I hope it is sufficient to sustain you until Thursday as there is a big chance that I will not be able to update until then as I have quite a busy schedule tomorrow (But I will see what I can do. Anything for my loyal fans! :D). So, read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Phoenix Mellark's POV

The sharp, high pitched wails of my two month old daughters penetrate my deep sleep. I don't really want to get up, but I feel bad that Harper is always getting up to feed Hailey and Hadley. Plus, I can tell that this is not a hungry cry. Most likely, they just desire some affection from one of their parents. So, I pull myself from the comfort of my warm bed and head across the hall to my daughters' nursery.

"Hi, baby girls, did you just want to see your daddy?" I ask them as I pick them each up, first Hailey and then Hadley. It took me a while to figure out how to pick up and hold them both at the same time without constantly being afraid of dropping them the whole time. Right from the start, Harper was just a natural pro. She is great with these two little rascals.

Over the last two months, mine and Harper's lives have changed more than I ever thought they would. I can't even begin to express the joy I feel when I get to hold one of my daughters. I love spending as much time as I possibly can with them. They, along with their mother, mean everything to me. I couldn't even imagine my life without them now.

"Are you bonding?" Harper asks, poking her head into the nursery.

"We are. I got up because I wanted you to get some more sleep," I tell Harper. "Go back to bed," I urge her.

"No thanks. I'm awake now anyway. Can I join you?" Harper asks. I nod and she comes to sit in the rocking chair next to the one I am in. I expertly hand Hadley over to her while I keep Hailey cradled to my chest.

I never imagined that another human being would be so dependent on me. I never imagined I would be completely responsible for the life of a tiny human being. I am so excited to see what kind of people my baby girls turn into one day. But, right now, I think I'll just enjoy them as the beautiful baby girls that they are.

Lilac Mellark's POV

I groan as I bury my head deeper into my pillow. Ace was such a sweet little baby in the hospital, but I swear the moment we brought him home he just decided to turn on us. I'm his mother, I gave him life, and shouldn't he be acting a little more considerate.

I feel Ash get out of bed and then move over to the bassinet that sits beside our bed. For such a small baby, he makes a hell of a lot of noise. I halfway open one eye and see that Ash is cradling baby Ace to his chest, but Ace's cries continue to persist. With one more groan, I push myself into a sitting position and force myself to wake up.

"Here, he's probably hungry," I tell Ash, holding my hands out for him to give me Ace.

"Sorry, if I could feed him for you I would. I know you haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," Ash replies, handing me Ace with an apologetic look.

"It's fine. Breastfeeding is best for him, anyway. I only want the best for my little baby boy," I say, bringing Ace up to my chest. Automatically, he begins to suckle and is once again content.

"You're so good with him," Ash says as he crawls back into bed and lies next to me as I breastfeed our son.

"He only loves me because I'm his food source," I joke, running my fingers over Ace's soft baby hair. I just can never get enough of this little guy. He might annoy me when he cries at three in the morning, but once I have him in my arms, I couldn't be happier.

"He loves you because you're his mommy. He knows you. He knows your voice. He knows your scent. He knows your touch. You're his favorite place to be in this entire world. He'll always love you, no matter what happens, no matter what he says. He'll always be your son and you'll always be his mommy." Ash says, snuggling closer into me. I smile as Ace finishes his three a.m. feeding and then I pass him off to his father, who burps him, changes his diaper, and rocks him back to sleep before placing him back into his crib.

"I love you," Ash tells me, kissing my lips tenderly.

"I love you, too." I reply, snuggling up to Ash's chest and drifting off to sleep, dreading my six o'clock wake up call.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

The acid from my stomach burns my throat and leaves an unpleasant taste on my tongue as I vomit for the umpteenth time today. Apparently, "morning sickness" can happen any time of the day. If you ask me, that's false advertising then. I groan as I slump against the wall of the bathroom.

"Here," Alex says, handing me a class of tap water. I smile gratefully at him as I take a sip of the water. My mouth still tastes of bile, but I know that, if I try to brush my teeth, I will just end up throwing up again. I actually ended up calling sick into work today because I could barely go forty-five minutes without puking my guts up. And poor Alex had made me the most romantic breakfast in bed this morning, too.

"No, don't kiss me. My mouth tastes horrible," I tell Alex when he tries to go in for a kiss.

"Babe, I don't care." He replies, but I persist so he just gives up. We lie together on our bed for a while. Alex called in sick to his job this morning after I called in sick to mine. He said he wanted to be here in case I needed him.

After a while, Alex pulls out his laptop and we end up searching the web for houses. Ever since we found out we're going to have triplets, Alex and I decided that we need to find a house of our own as soon as possible. We would like to be fully moved in with a finished nursery before the babies are born.

Dr. Styles told us what to expect with a triplet pregnancy that would be different than a single or twin birth. The biggest things is that our triplets will most likely ending up being born about a month or so earlier than usual and they will most likely have to be delivered via a C-section. This upset me a little because I had wanted to experience natural child birth, but I would do almost anything to make sure that these three babies make it into this world safely.

These three little babies mean everything to me now and I know Alex feels the same way. We have actually already started putting money away for our children's education. I want to make sure that all my babies get the best and most opportunities that they can in life. Alex and I have even started discussing names. There are a few that we like, but we still don't know what genders are our babies are going to be. We both decided that we would like to know so that we can decorate their nurseries accordingly.

I honestly thought that Alex and I were never going to decorate a nursery or that I would never experience morning sickness. I was convinced I would never be able to give Alex the babies he deserves. Now, neither of us could be any happier than we are now. Alex and I finally got our miracle babies.

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**I just wanted to give you a snap shot of how our "new parents" are doing so far. Phoenix and Harper seem to have things under control. It seems that Lilac is finding out that her little baby boy isn't as perfect as she originally thought he was. And, well, it seems that Ivy is enduring some quite unpleasant things, but is still pretty dang happy right now. Things will be good for a while, but we all know that things can't stay good forever. (C'mon, you knew it was going to have to happen eventually.) I have a few things up my sleeve that I'm sure will baffle you all . . . mwhahahahaha! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! Thanks a million!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey, Everybody! Here's your chapter for today. Sorry, you only get one today. More to come by Sunday at the latest. I don't have much to say right now, so read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty

Liam Hawthorne's POV

_*Three months later*_

Finn and I have been on this naval ship for a little over three months. Honestly, I really enjoy getting to work with all the complicated military weapons and machinery. I never imagined I'd be doing this kind of thing when I was a teenager. I guess I got my brain from my father, Gale Hawthorne, who helped develop weapons when District 13 helped Panem rebel against President Snow and the Hunger Games.

Most of the time, I am busy working; making repairs on the ship's engineer, keeping all the weapons in working order, and continually using our communication equipment to keep in touch with Panem. But right now, I actually have nothing to do. And so, my mind wanders and it always wanders to the same place: Destiny.

Destiny, the girl I have been dating in an on again, off again relationship for almost six years now, cheated on me shortly before I left to join Panem's navy. That's not even the worst part. She managed to get pregnant by this other guy, too. I should hate her right? I should be angry at her for cheating on me and then getting pregnant . . . right?

And yet, I find myself still wondering if she's doing okay. Did the guy she cheated on me with step up to the plate? Is he taking care of her and treating her the way a man should treat the mother of his baby? Despite Destiny having hurt me and violated our relationship, I still . . . I still love her. I have found myself desperately wishing that that baby was mine, but I know it's not.

I kind of wish that I hadn't reacted the way I did to Destiny when she told me the news. I just got up and left. I didn't give her a chance to explain. Honestly, at the time, I didn't want to hear an explanation. I was just pissed and I said some things I wish I could take back. I hadn't meant any of them. I was just upset.

Maybe we could have worked it out. Maybe Destiny would have had the baby and we would have raised it like it was mine. I could have been that baby's father. What if the father of Destiny's baby doesn't want anything to do with Destiny or the baby? It doesn't take much to father a child, but it takes a real man to be a father to a child.

I guess there isn't much I do about anything now. I'm a couple thousand miles away from Panem, in the middle of the ocean. Destiny has probably moved on with someone else by now. She's probably living happily ever after with the father of the baby. So, yeah, I kind of totally screwed things up.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"He is so adorable." I coo as I cradle baby Ace in my arms.

"Oh, yeah, he's a real cutie when he wakes you up at three in the morning so you can change his diaper," my sister, Lilac, replies sarcastically.

"Oh, you love him and you know it," I tell her, smiling down at my infant nephew.

"Just wait until you have your babies. You'll know how we feel then," Harper, my sister-in-law, says as she walks up to us, pushing her twin daughters in their stroller. Today, Lilac, Harper, and I thought we all deserved a girls' day, plus baby Ace. So, today, we're all going baby shopping. Lilac and Harper insisted that they come with me when I look at strollers and cribs and clothes and all the other baby necessities.

Hailey and Hadley are now four months old and Ace is three months old. Really, they are three of the cutest babies I've ever seen. And I'm a pediatrician so that's saying something. Harper and Lilac have both already bonded so well with their babies. I can't wait until I get to do that with my babies.

"I still can't believe you're having triplets! That's just completely crazy!" Lilac says as she situates Ace into his stroller. Harper, Lilac, and I make the short walk to the mall in the downtown of the Capitol. Lilac swears that all the best shopping is down Panem Ave, so she just has to drag us there. Harper and I just find it funny, but Lilac is quite the expert in shopping.

As we start going through all the baby stores, my mind is blown at how much stuff just one baby needs and how expensive it all is. It's a really good thing Alex and I make so much money or we would be screwed. Though, I must say that all the little clothes are so cute and I can't wait until Alex and I start putting together our babies' nurseries.

We both agreed that we want to know the sexes of our babies before they are born so that we can adequately buy everything we need and decorate our babies' nurseries. We are also searching faithfully for a house that we can put a down payment on and move into before our babies are born. We're definitely going to need more space to raise our three children.

While it pains me to think about this, I understand that these triplets are most likely going to be the only babies Alex and I have. I'm okay with this actually. At least Alex and I got the opportunity to have our own children. There is a possibility that Alex and I will adopt in a few years, but for now I'll be content with our three miracle babies.

A few hours later, Lilac, Harper, the babies, and I are all sitting around a table in the food court at the mall. Much to Lilac's dismay, I didn't actually buy anything while we were in the stores. Since Alex and I are married, I find it only logical that I would wait for him to be here with me for us to do our shopping. Plus, I'm sure he would like to have some sort of say into what we buy for our children.

After lunch, we all head in our separate directions, heading for our homes. When I get home, the first thing I do is go to the bathroom. Ever since I got pregnant, I've had to pee every twenty minutes or so. It's like my bladder instantly shrunk or something. Once that is taken care of, I head into the bedroom so I can take a nap before getting up to make dinner for Alex and me. I've been becoming increasingly tired these last couple of weeks. I was worried at first, but then Dr. Styles told me that fatigue was perfectly normal and that the level of a mother fatigue can be impacted on the number of babies she is carrying.

When I wake up, I see that the sun has started its decent below the horizon. This means that I have been asleep for almost five hours. I rub my eyes and then pull myself out of the bed, taking a moment to stretch my back that has also begun to ache along with my other pregnancy symptoms. Alex better appreciate everything I am going through just to give him these babies.

"Sleeping beauty rises!" Alex exclaims as I walk into the kitchen. He is standing over the stove, stirring something that I think is soup. Well, so much for me making him dinner tonight.

"Your children are already exhausting me and they aren't even born yet," I complain, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"You know you love them anyway," Alex replies, kissing my lips and then kneeling beside me to kiss my stomach three times; once for each baby. "You're so beautiful," He murmurs against my rounding stomach.

"No, I'm not. I'm barely three months along and I'm already fat," I complain.

"You're not fat," Alex replies, kissing my stomach again. "You're pregnant. Ivy, you have no idea how beautiful you look. You're positively glowing and it's so gorgeous on you."

"I knew I married you for a reason," I joke, threading my fingers into Alex's curly hair. I really hope we have boys with his beautiful hair. "I love you," I tell him, giving him a loving smile.

"I love you, too." He replies, kissing my forehead and heading back over to stir his soup.

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**Not too much happened in this chapter, so sorry if it bored you. I wanted to do a Liam's POV because I haven't done in a while and I thought It'd be nice if you could see into his head and see what he's been thinking lately. The last part was pretty much just some fluff, which there will be more of as we continue. I suppose you deserve a little break from the drama (key term " a little break"). I do believe we have the holidays coming up again, so we'll be seeing some of the older characters. Next week might be a little busy on my part. I'm starting a new project at school with my friend and it will be time consuming. Updates will come often as usual, though, so don't worry. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey, Everybody! I've got a chapter for you! Really, some of the next few chapters may be a little bit more fluffy than you've been used to with my writing, so I hope that's okay. :) Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-One

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"Grandma and grandpa are so excited to see you," I coo to my twin daughters as I buckle them into their car seat carriers. Harper and I are, along with my sisters and their families, are taking an early morning train to District 12 today so we can spend the holidays with our whole family.

I'm glad we chose to leave early in the morning. That means that Hailey and Hadley will be asleep for most of the train ride. I honestly cannot wait to be back at home, even if it's only for a week. I've missed getting to spend an unlimited amount of time with my parents and siblings. It makes me sad to know that I won't be able to see my youngest brother, Finn, this year at the holidays.

"Are they all set to go?" Harper asks me as she comes into our kitchen with a fully packed diaper bag for the week.

"Yes, they are," I reply, smiling at my baby girls. Harper takes them out to our car and I pack our suitcases into our car. The drive to the train station in the Capitol is pretty short, so we are there in no time. We meet up with Lilac, Ash, Alex, and Ivy. Ace, of course, is with Lilac, but he is sound asleep.

For the next six hours, I use the long train ride from the Capitol to District 12 to catch up with my sisters, who I haven't had the pleasure of hanging out with for the last couple of months. It is weird how busy your life gets once you have babies. Lilac, too, has come to realize that as well. For a while, we talk about how crazy life is with infants.

Ivy, my twin sister, honestly looks very beautiful, despite the fact that she thinks she's fat. Really, it's expected that she would be a little bigger since she is having three babies. I still think it's amazing that Ivy and Alex are going to have triplets. After everything they've been through, they both deserve this.

"I think your daughter wants you," Harper tells me, holding an upset looking Hailey in her arms.

"Come here, baby girl," I say, holding my arms open for my daughter. I'm impressed that she slept as long as she did. Hailey has been the one that is usually waking us up in the middle of the night because she wants a little love and affection. So, since there's only an hour left of our train ride, I have no problem cradling my daughter in my arms for a while.

When our train pulls into the station in District 12, both my parents, Harper's parents, Alex's parents, and Ash's parents are all waiting there for us. Mom and dad were both incredibly excited when Harper and I told them that we would all be coming to town for the holidays.

"Oh, it is so nice to see my babies!" Mom exclaims, pulling me, Lilac, and Ivy all into a tight hug. My sisters and I just kind of roll our eyes at each other, but we let mom hug us for as long as she wants. Once she lets us go, she moves on to Harper, Ash, and Alex, who have already received affection from their own parents.

Once our happy reunion is over, we all head back to the Mellark household for dinner and some family time. Back at home, while dad and Effie are putting the finishing touches on dinner, Lilac and I pass our babies around to everyone. It's crazy how much people love holding babies.

Before dinner, Lilac and I both put the babies down for a nap and hope that they'll sleep peacefully for the duration of the meal. These holiday dinners with my family are definitely the highlight of my year. It's nice to be back in the town that you grew up in with most of your immediate family.

"Now, Ivy, tell me all about your pregnancy so far," Mom tells Ivy. I think mom is very excited that Ivy is finally having a baby. No one but me, Harper, Lilac, Ash, and Finn know about the miscarriage that Ivy and Alex went through about eight months ago. We all decided that it would just be easier not to tell mom and dad.

"Besides the fact that I'm turning into a humpback whale, everything is fine. My morning sickness has finally started to tone down a bit, so that's nice." Ivy says.

"You do not look like a whale," Effie replies. "You look absolutely radiant!"

"I tell her that every day, but she never believes me." Alex says, wrapping his arm around Ivy's shoulders. Ivy just rolls her eyes at him and leans into his embrace.

I honestly don't think that Ivy could have found someone better for her in all of Panem. She and Alex have been so good for each other over the years. I still can't believe that my sister never figured out that Alex was totally head over heels in love with her for most of our childhood. I don't think there were any two happier people than Ivy and Alex on their wedding day.

As dinner continues, I begin to wish I lived closer to everyone here or maybe that they all lived closer to the Capitol. But I know that neither of those scenarios will probably be happening any time soon. Mine and Harper's business is in the Capitol and District 12 has been my parents' home since they were born. I guess, even after ten years, leaving the nest is still hard.

Just as dessert is being served, Hadley begins to cry. I was surprised when it only took me about a week to learn the difference between Hailey and Hadley's cries. I excuse myself, telling Harper she should stay and be with our family, and head into the living room to attend to my daughter.

"Hi, baby girl, what do you need?" I ask my daughter rhetorically as I pick her up from the playpen we are using as a crib for the babies tonight. Obviously, Hadley doesn't respond, other than the tiny smile she gives me. So, I change Hadley's diaper and then rock her in my arms for a while until she falls back asleep.

"How is she?" Dad asks as he joins me in the living room.

"Sound asleep," I reply, smiling down at my sleeping daughter.

"She is a beauty," Dad says as he walks up to me and looks down at the tiny girl in my arms.

"Do you wanna hold her?" I ask him.

"I'd love to," He replies, so I carefully hand Hadley off to her grandpa. "Hi baby girl, I'm your grandpa. You and I are going to have so much fun. I'm going to teach you how to bake and paint just like I did with your daddy when he was little just like you." As I watch my father with his granddaughter, noticing the increasing greying of his hair and the wrinkles in his skin, I can't help but truly wish that we all lived closer together. Who knows how much time my parents have left? I would love for them to be around to watch their grandchildren grow up, but that's just not a definite.

We'll all definitely have to come and visit more or have mom and dad come visit us. It's not like we don't have enough room for mom and dad to stay in while they're in the Capitol. Plus, with Ivy pregnant, she and mom could have a lot of fun talking about baby stuff and planning all sorts of things. We're definitely going to have to take more time to keep this family knit together.

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**Don't worry, I'm not planning on killing anyone off . . . any time soon . . . ;) I guess we'll just have to see where things go. Stay tuned for more chapters coming up some time today. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter for you this morning. I hope you enjoy it! Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Two

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Ivy and I walk through the backdoor of my childhood home, my arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Outside, a soft dusting of snow covers the ground. Crystal white flakes flutter down from the heavens. My wife looks gorgeous with a light layer of snow on top of her head.

"I'm sure you both are exhausted," My mom says as she and my dad walk in behind us.

"I'm not that tired, actually. It's weird because I was nothing but tired the first few weeks of my pregnancy, but now I feel quite energized." Ivy replies, leaning into my embrace.

"Why don't we sit around the fireplace for a while?" Dad asks, gesturing to the living room, where our fireplace is located.

"That sounds great," Ivy replies and we all move into the living room. Dad and I take a few minutes to get the fire going, during which mom and Ivy sit and chat.

"Whoa," I barely have time to put my hands out to catch dad as he stumbles. "Are you okay?" I ask him, letting go of him only when I am sure he is steady. Mom is already up from the couch, resting a hand on dad's shoulder.

"Haymitch, sit down for a minute," She coaxes him, leading him carefully over to the couch.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Dad says, trying to shake off our worries.

"Haymitch, you need to tell them," Mom tells him.

"Tell us what?" I ask, a sudden anxiety washing over me.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Dad replies as he gives mom a pointed look. Obviously, he doesn't want to tell us whatever mom thinks he should tell us.

"Haymitch, if you don't tell them, then I will." Mom threatens.

"Tell us what?" I repeat, getting more and more worried every moment. Mom stares at dad, waiting for him to go on and tell us whatever the heck is going on here. Dad pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a huff of air.

"Alex, sit down," Dad tells me. I take a seat next to Ivy, who holds onto my arm with one hand and then intertwines the fingers of her other hand with mine. "Two weeks ago, your mom made me go to the doctor because I wasn't feeling very well. The doctor ran a few tests and . . . Alex, my liver is failing."

"What?" I ask. I know what he said, but it's like my mind can't comprehend what I've just heard.

"The doctor says that it's from all my drinking when I was younger," Dad tells me.

"That was . . . that was over thirty years ago. You've been sober for over thirty years!" I exclaim. My heart is thudding powerfully in my chest. I feel Ivy rubbing my back with her hand.

"I guess the damage was already done, but it took until now for it to become an issue." Dad replies.

"I don't understand," I whisper, fighting back tears that have begun to form in my eyes. Mom comes to sit on my other side and pulls me into a hug. "How long until . . .?" I trail off, knowing I would never be able to say the words.

"They aren't sure. Without a donor, I'll be lucky to have three months." Dad replies.

"What about with a donor?" I ask him, my head snapping up to look him in the eye.

"With a donor, I'd be fine, but the odds of me getting a donor any time soon are slim." Dad tells me.

"What about me? There's a chance we could be a match," I say.

"No, I'm not going to make you do that." Dad replies.

"You won't be making me do anything. I want to do this." I tell him.

"No, Alex." Dad persists.

"Why won't you let me help you?" I ask him, my blood starting to boil. I'm offering to save his life and he won't let me! What the hell is wrong with him?

"Alex, you are going to be a father. What if something went wrong during the surgery? I won't put your life at risk. You kids are going to need their father." Dad replies.

"The odds of anything going wrong in the surgery are so slim they aren't even a factor!" I shout at him. At this point, I am standing up, anger bubbling inside of me.

"I don't care what the odds are. I'm not risking my only son's life!" Dad shouts back at me.

"Would you two stop yelling?" Mom asks, stepping between us. "Alex, I know you want to help your father, but it's ultimately his decision."

"But he said it himself! Without a donor he's as good as dead! Three months; do you have any idea how short three months is? You . . . you won't even get to . . . get to meet your grandchildren," The last part is barely a whisper. My throat feels tight and my vision gets blurry.

"Son . . ." Dad says quietly, "I know you're upset, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. You kids are going to need a father much more than they'll need me."

"But, there's still a chance that you'll get a donor before you . . . before you die, right?" I ask him. I feel Ivy stand up and come up behind me.

"Of course there's a chance. Maybe, if you came and stayed with us, it'd be easier to find a donor in the Capitol than here in District 12. Plus, we have the best doctors in all of Panem in the Capitol." Ivy suggests to my parents.

"Oh, Haymitch, don't you think that sounds promising?" Effie asks dad.

"I wouldn't want to put you at any expense," Dad replies.

"You wouldn't be, not at all." I tell him. "Please?" I ask.

"Alright," Dad replies, with a ghost of a smile on his lips. "When do we move in?" He asks and we all laugh.

"The sooner the better," Ivy tells him. "After the holidays, we'll get started. Really, you aren't moving, per se. You'll only need to bring clothes and other necessities. Alex and I have anything and everything you could want at our place."

"Now, you're sure we won't be imposing? I know you two still live in that apartment." Dad asks again.

"I promise you, you won't be any bother. Yes, we still live in our apartment, but we'll be buying a house before the babies come. Don't worry about that. Right now I'm more concerned with taking care of you." Ivy tells dad.

"Thank you," Dad replies, giving Ivy and me a smile.

"Anytime," I reply, giving dad a hug. We have to find a donor. I can't imagine my life without my dad. I mean, I know he's going to die eventually, but I can't let him go without him first meeting his grandbabies. I know that dad would just have an amazing relationship with my kids and I can't imagine my kids not knowing him, even if it's only for a little while. My kids need to know their grandfather. There's no other option. I won't let there be.

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**Now, in all honesty, I think it would be very hard for me to kill off Haymitch. He's my all time favorite character and I'm not sure I'll have to willpower to kill him off. We'll have to see, I guess. More chapters to come today, so be on the look out! Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review!****  
**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey, Everyone! Another chapter for you all! I hope you are all enjoying these chapters, even though they are all a little boring. I'm just having some fun with a little bit of fun before I move onto some heavier stuff to come up soon. Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Three

Ivy Abernathy's POV

Ash, Lilac, Harper, Phoenix, Alex, and I are all busy cooking Christmas Eve dinner. We all decided that we would give dad a day off from his constant cooking. I love dad's cooking, but sometimes I feel like he works too hard during the holidays to make his fantastic meals. Plus, now all the adults can have fun with the babies while we're all busy making dinner.

While Lilac and Phoenix work hard on making Christmas cookies and other dessert items, Ash, Alex, and I work on the main dishes for dinner tonight. I spend most of my time working on the tater tot casserole, the green bean casserole, and the ham that will be our main entrée tonight. Ash works on the mashed potatoes and baked beans. Alex makes all the vegetables that includes asparagus, cream corn, and steamed broccoli. By six o'clock, dinner is ready to be served.

"I must say, this is a wonderful meal," Dad tells us as we eat together. Phoenix, Lilac, and I give each other high fives in success. About an hour into dinner, Ace starts crying.

"You stay. I'll go take care of him," I tell Lilac.

"Are you sure?" She asks.

"Yeah, I love taking care of my nephew." I tell Lilac as I get up and head into the living room.

"Hey, buddy," I say as I pick Ace up from his playpen. His cries continue for a few minutes while I bounce him in my arms. After a few more minutes, I go into Lilac's diaper bag and find a bottle of formula. Setting Ace on my hip, I walk into the kitchen and then heat up the bottle of formula for Ace. I hop onto the kitchen counter and cradle Ace in one arm as I feed him. Ace finishes his bottle and I bring him up to my shoulder so I can burp him.

"I bet you can't wait until you have more friends to play with," I say as I walk back into the living room with Ace in my arms. "Maybe you'll have a few boys to play with soon," I tell him. Right now, I'm sure he doesn't mind having play dates with Hailey and Hadley, but when he gets a little older he will.

"Are you and Alex going to find out the sexes of the babies or do you want to be surprised?" I hear mom ask. She comes and sits next to me on the couch.

"Oh, we are definitely going to find out the sexes of our babies. I love surprises, but I don't want three big surprises all at the same time." I reply with a chuckle.

"It is nice to know beforehand what you're having." Mom says. "It made having you and your brother just a little bit easier. That way we knew what to buy and what names to pick."

"Yeah, Alex and I thought of that, too." I reply.

"I still can't believe you're having triplets. That's going to make life quite chaotic in just a few months." Mom says as I hand her Ace, who is now a happy little baby.

"Yeah," I reply. "I kind of feel like these three babies are here to show me and Alex that everything we went through is going to turn out okay in the end."

"I can't imagine going through what you went through when you found out you wouldn't be able to have kids naturally." Mom says.

"That was hard, but I think the miscarriage was harder," I tell mom.

"What miscarriage?" Mom asks me, her eyes quickly snapping to meet mine.

"Oh, crap, that wasn't supposed to come out," I say, mentally face palming myself at my stupid mistake.

"Wait, you had a miscarriage and you didn't say anything?" Mom asks.

"Well, I told Phoenix and Lilac and Finn. They all know about it." I answer, not meeting mom's eyes.

"Why wouldn't you say anything to me or your father?" Mom asks. I can tell that she sounds hurt that I didn't confide in her.

"I didn't want to burden you. I didn't want to upset you," I tell her.

"How long ago was this?" Mom asks.

"Almost nine months ago," I reply.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Mom says, pulling me in for a hug.

"It's fine. I mean, I guess I'm over it," I reply as mom and I end our embrace.

"Oh, sweetie, I know how hard it is to get over a miscarriage and then to try again for another baby." Mom tells me.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You probably should have helped me a lot. For a few months I was kind of really horrible. I was mean to Alex. There were a few weeks where we didn't even talk. I made him sleep on the couch. I told myself that I wasn't going to try for a baby any more. I didn't want to set myself up for that kind of hurt again." I admit.

"What helped?" Mom asks.

"Well, actually, when Hailey and Hadley were born was when I kind of realized how much I wanted a baby. So, I apologized to Alex and we reconnected and then we went back to the doctor. A month later, I was pregnant." I explain.

"Regardless, I'm glad that everything worked out for you. And I cannot wait to meet my new grandbabies." Mom says, resting her hand on my stomach.

"Ugh, I can't believe how big I am already and I'm just going to keep getting bigger and bigger," I complain.

"You look beautiful," Mom tells me. "Has your doctor told you when you'll most likely go into labor?"

"Yeah, he said that I'll probably only be seven months when I go into labor. The babies will be born prematurely and they'll have to stay in the NICU for a month or so, but they should be fine in the long run." I tell mom.

"They are going to be so tiny," Mom say.

"I know. I really can't wait to meet them. It's going to be amazing. They're miracle babies." I say.

"That they are," Mom replies.

For the rest of the night, we all hang out together, watching all sorts of Christmas movies. The biggest hit of the night are the babies. Everyone just loves getting to hold them and play with them. It makes me confident that there will be no shortage of love for my babies in this family.

"I love you," Alex whispers into my ear as we sit with our family.

"I love you, too." I reply, titling my head up to kiss his cheek. "I love our family," I tell him, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Me, too," Alex replies. We sit together and enjoy the company of our very colorful family.

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**Sorry it's so short. I didn't know what else to do in this chapter. Hopefully, I'll be able to get you all more interesting stuff soon. I'm just working up to it. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey, Everyone! I meant to get this to you guys yesterday, but I had a bunch of stuff to do and I wanted to make sure it was good quality. Only the best for my readers! I hope you enjoy it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Four

Finn Mellark's POV

I run my fingers over my blonde hair. I'll need another buzz cut soon. My hair has begun to grow over the military code line. Why we need to buzz our hair, I don't know, but it's not that big of a deal for me. Hair always grows back.

I look out over the horizon, wondering what my family is up to right now. It's Christmas time back home. Dad probably made a wonderful meal. Lilac and Ash probably sang Christmas carols in the living room. Everyone is probably gathered around the dining room table, enjoying the meal and each other's company.

It is times like these, when I staring out at the rolling waves of the sea, that I miss Summer to most. We haven't been apart this long since we first started dating. We did almost everything together. It's hard now to be away from her like this. Letters are all we have. I try to write to her every week, but lately it's been hard to find the time. Things have been getting increasingly and increasingly busy over the last few weeks. There have been a few skirmishes between us and our enemies. None of them have resulted in any casualties or large amounts of injury to our men or equipment.

I pull myself from the breathtaking view of the horizon and head to the mess hall. Down in the mess hall, I am met with the tables full of soldiers. I go through the food line and then search a few seconds for Liam. I find Liam sitting with a few of the other guys we met our first week of basic training.

"Hey," I say as I sit down next to Liam.

"What's up?" He asks, taking a mouthful of food.

"Not much," I tell him, taking a bite of my own food. Liam and I haven't had a lot of time to talk lately, as things have been becoming more time demanding on both of us. Liam has spent a lot of time in the bottom of the ship, working on keeping our weapons and communication equipment up and running in perfect condition.

Half an hour later, we are all sent back to our stations to finish our work. I know that a lot of the guys don't like the work too much. They're more interested in fighting and looking heroic in front of everyone and visiting exotic places. That's not what it's all about. It's about doing everything you can to make sure everyone you care about is safe.

I am just finishing wiping down my weapons, to keep them clean and in proper working order, when I am thrown backward. My upper body collides with the wall and pain seers through my skull and my back. The alarms on the ship begin blaring and lights begin to flash. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.

I pull myself up from the floor and have to take a minute to steady myself. I touch the back of my head with my open palm. It comes back red and sticky with blood. My head is throbbing and my vision is becoming blurry, but I have to find out what is going on here. I use my hands to guide myself out of the weaponry room and out onto top deck.

Throughout the ship, everything is in chaos. No one has any idea what has happened or what it was that caused the impact that we all felt. Fear and adrenaline are abuzz on the ship. Even the long term officers have no idea what is going on.

Suddenly, another impact throws me about fifteen feet and sends me sprawling on the floor, with about fifty other men. It takes me longer to steady myself this time. It feels as if the seas have become rougher over the last few minutes. Once I have righted myself, I look out to the west, where I am certain whatever caused the impact came from.

I search the horizon, my hand shielding my eyes from the sun as my eyes scan the waters. Then, I see it. It is nothing more than a spec in the distance, no more than a blip on radar. But it's enough to affirm my suspicions. Whatever collided with our ship was a direct attack on us. Our enemies have started firing at us without any inhibitions.

In less than ten minutes, everyone aboard knows that we are under attack. Instantly, we all move to our stations, ready for this fight that we have been waiting for since we first set sail so many weeks ago. I load my gun and wait for the officers' signal.

Once we are given the signal, we open fire on our enemy. But, the trouble is that they're too far away for most of our shots to do any real harm. What could they have used to attack us that had such a range? We must be at least a mile away from each other. This doesn't make any sense!

The officers tell us to hold our fire. There's no sense in continually firing if we can't hit them. That's just a waste of ammunition and energy. So, we sit and watch in silence for a long while. During this while, our enemy ships are drifting closer and closer to us. There are only three, which is less than what we have faced so far. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're equal. It's three against three. It's a fifty-fifty shot. Then again, 50% is still a failing grade.

They come closer and closer until the distance between us is about half of what it originally was. Our weapons are still too out of range to bother using them. We just have to hope they don't start firing at us until they come closer.

My eyes remain trained on our enemies. It's like I couldn't look away if I wanted to. Something inside of me is telling me to not even blink unless I absolutely have to. And yet, everything remains the same. They continue to move closer, but nothing else changes. And then I see it! It was just a blip, a blur in the water below the leading ship, which is also the middle ship. My eyes only saw it for a nanosecond, but the rest of my body was able to feel it.

There's an impact. My entire body is thrown backwards and I once again collide with the hard, steel wall of the ship. Next, I feel heat and hear ringing in my ear as explosions begin. I use the wall to support my body weight as I try to stand up. I try to pull myself over to my weapon so I can fire at the enemy ships, but just as I am about to grab a hold of it, another explosion sends me sprawling. The ringing in my ears is worse now. A sharp ache has developed over my skull. It feels like someone is hitting my skull with a hammer over and over again.

Another impact hits the ship. This time, my forehead collides directly with the steel wall. I can feel myself being pulled down into unconsciousness. I try to fight it, but it's pulling harder and harder. I don't even bother to pull myself back onto my feet this time. There's no use. I will only end back up in this same position.

I don't know how long I stay curled up in the fetal position against the steel wall, my hands pressed firmly down on my ears. But I count the impacts and explosions: Four impacts, twenty explosions. It seems that each impact results in five explosions. I try my best not to think about what the ship looks like outside of my station. I try not to think about how many men are dead and how many are still alive. I try not to think about what has become of Liam, one of my best friends since the day he was born.

Instead, I focus my thoughts on Summer. I think of her beautiful, long, soft, blonde hair. I think of she always smelt good, like freshly blooming flowers and passion fruit. I think of her laugh, so musical and melodic. I think of how her embrace feels, her arms wrapped warmly around me as the sun sets beneath the horizon, leaving the beach cool in the night air. Slowly, I drift into unconsciousness, thinking of only my Summer.

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**It has been a while since we've seen anything with Finn and Liam, so I thought I'd change that! The next few chapters will be focusing mainly on events happening after this chapter. There might be little snippets of everyone's lives back in Panem, but the focuse will be on this mainly. Thanks for reading and please review! (Especially if you love Finn!)**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hey, Everybody! As promised, here is your chapter! :) I actually kind of enjoyed writing this because I worked on using more descriptive adjectives. I really like the way it turned out, even though it's not exactly what I planned on writing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Five

Finn Mellark's POV

Groggily, and with great effort, I open my eyes. I have a terrible headache that is leaving me feeling foggy when I try to think. It's worst when I try to recall why I have such a headache. I blink my eyes a few times, trying to clear my blurry vision.

Once my vision has cleared, I am even more confused than I was before. Everything in my weapon room is in chaos. There's water seeping in from somewhere, leaving my body half immersed in the salty concoction. I take a moment to gather my strength, which has strangely faded from my muscles, and then I pull myself up, using the wall as leverage. I wade through the water, which is much more time consuming and tiring than one would think.

I wade my way through the water and towards the door of my weapons room, which lies sideways now. No, the door wouldn't have moved sideways. The ship must be floating on its side. Well, just barely floating and heading towards the sinking side. I crawl through the door, losing my balance and ending up with a mouth full of salt water. The salt stings the back of my head. I bring my hand up to the back of my head and bring it back into view. It is red and sticky. Obviously, I hit my head at some point. Maybe that's why I am having such a hard time remembering things right now. I can only hope that things will get clearer as time goes on.

I continually have to use the wall for support as I continue to wade down what I think is the hallway. It's hard to distinguish anything when everything is turned around and your head is foggy. My goal is to find someone and get a status on what happened and what we're going to do next. Obviously, this is the result of some sort of attack, but I still have so many questions lingering in my foggy mind. Who did it? What did they use? Why did they attack us? Are they gone? Will they be coming back? We're there any causalities? How many men did we lose? Will we be rescued soon?

As I continue down the hallway, my body becoming increasingly exhausted, I come upon bodies; a lot of bodies. All of them are floating face down in the water. I have to cover my mouth with my arm to keep from throwing up as I pass the bodies. They haven't been dead long at all, but the water has sped up the decomposing process and the stench has become one of the worst things I have ever smelt in my entire life.

Things begin to look more and more desolate as I move through this long hall. More bodies are present. It is beginning to look like I might be the lone survivor. My heart begins beating erratically in my chest. What am I supposed to do now? What if no one knows I'm here? What if they think we're all dead and don't bother to come rescue us? I have to get to the communication room! There, I'll be able to use the radio and talk to someone back in Panem. I can tell them I'm alive and what our coordinates are. Then they'll be able to come and rescue us. But, what if the radio is broken? What are the odds that it is in perfect working order after what this ship just went through? But there might still be hope!

With a new found determination, I move faster towards the communication room. The stench of the dead bodies is worse as you go farther down the hall. I tuck my nose into my shirt, breath through my mouth, and keep going.

Finally, I make it to the communication room. It takes me a few minutes to bust the door open. Something must have fallen in front of it during the attack. Inside the communication room, the stench is lessened somewhat, but still strong. Several dead bodies are floating in the water. One of them is belly up and I can't help but stare at his face. It's the lifeless body of Private Ryan Andrews, a young kid from District Seven who had barely graduate high school before he volunteered for Panem's Navy.

I pull my eyes away from the lifeless body and start my hunt for the radio. I've only been in here a handful of times. I was always both intrigued and confused by all the buttons and lights and levers and switches in this room. I never understood how Liam could fix all this complicated machinery.

Liam! I had completely forgotten about Liam! I have to find him. He has to be here somewhere! I need to find him. My eyes scan the communication room. Most likely, Liam would have been in here when the attack happened. He always worked in the communication room after lunch. Usually, there was something broken that needed to be fixed. He's got to be in here somewhere.

I start checking all the bodies, fearing the worst. Every lifeless face I look at doesn't resemble Liam at all. This could be a good sign or a bad sign. It's possible that Liam was somewhere else when the attack happened. It's still possible that Liam is dead.

No! I push those thoughts out of my mind and continue searching for my friend. I look in every nook and cranny in the communication room, hoping to see Liam's face, alive and well. He's nowhere to be found. _Think, Finn, think. You're smart. You can figure this out. Where could Liam be? Where would you have hid if the ship was under attack? _Through my foggy mind and jumbled thoughts, I begin to think clearly again. _Come on, think! You'd want a hiding place that was close to the inside of the ship and small and enclosed . . . think! _

A sudden millisecond of clear thought results in me sloshing through the body and stench filled water to the opposite side of the communication room. I get there and tug harshly on the closet door, ripping it off its hinges in the process. Inside, I see who I think is Liam, slumped against the wall, which is now the floor. I rush to his side as fast as I can. His mouth was under the water so I take a minute to assess his breathing. There isn't any chest movement, nor is there any air flow. I lean him up against the ceiling of the boat, which is now acting as the wall of Liam's hideout. I tilt his head, open his mouth, and bring my mouth to his, breathing oxygen into his lungs. I do this a few times. The longer I do this, the more I begin to worry that I am too late, that Liam is already gone. That is a very rational possibility, but I won't let my mind accept it.

After about five minutes of this, Liam sputters out water and takes huge gulps of air into his lungs. I pat his back, forcing the rest of the water in his lungs out. Liam's eyes are wide and he clutches at his chest. He goes into a terrible fit of coughing and end up patting his back for a while until a few more spurts of water come out of his mouth.

"It's okay," I tell him. "You're alright now."

"What happened?" He asks me, his frantic eyes meeting mine.

"We must have been attacked. I don't remember a whole lot. I think I might have hit my head." I answer him.

"Are they dead?" Liam asks, gesturing to the men in the communication room.

"Yes," I respond.

"Are we the only two left?" He asks.

"I don't know," I tell him. Liam remains quite for a few minutes, processing the information I just gave him.

"We have to get help," He says, abruptly getting up. He falters, not expecting the force of the water to act against his movements, and I steady him. "The radio," Liam says. I help him over there, letting him lead me. Liam leans on a big control panel, flipping switches and hitting buttons. He grabs a microphone and tries to contact the base back in District Four. All we are met with is the sound of feedback ringing in the silent room. Liam and I look at each other for a minute. We both know what this means. With everyone else aboard dead and no way to communicate with our country, we are stranded indefinitely.

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**Dun DUN DUN! What could happen next? I have no idea! We'll just have to wait and see where the next chapter takes us! You may or may not get another chapter today and you may or may not get another chapter tomorrow. Tomorrow after school I have to go to walmart, make dinner, bake 48 cupcakes (24 chocolate w/ chocolate frosting and 24 vanilla w/ vanilla frosting), and then I have to go to church. I'm hoping I can type while I bake. It depends on how much homework I have. But you will definitely get chapters this weekend. **

**In other news, I have been getting a lot of new ideas for my next fanfiction, which is going to an AU story and will include as many actual characters from the books as I can work in, which I am hoping is all of them in one form or another! :) I'm actually really excited about that story, but I know it's going to be quite a while before I get to it. This story is going to take me quite a while to write, which I'm sure you guys don't mind! I have a lot of things to get through in this story yet and I have to make sure the conclusion to it is PERFECT! Anyhow, I'm done ranting now. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! Thanks!  
**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey, Everybody! Yay! Another chapter for ya'll! I hope you enjoy it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Six

Finn Mellark's POV

"What are we supposed to do now?" Liam asks me. It's clear he's terrified about our situation. I am, too. This was the last thing I ever expected to happen.

"We should . . . we should go through the ship and see if there's anything we can salvage to use." I say, not even sure if that's a good idea or not. There must be something Liam and I could use to aid us in whatever we decide to do next.

"How do we know what to salvage if we don't know what we're doing next?" Liam asks me. Oh, I hadn't thought of that. That does actually make a lot of sense.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" I ask Liam.

"I don't know!" He huffs in frustration.

"Well, I don't think we should stay with the ship. Just since I've regained consciousness, it has sunk at least two or more feet. If we stay here, we're going to end up dead at the bottom of the ocean." I say.

"We could salvage parts of the ship to make a sort of raft that we could live on until someone comes to rescue us. Someone must know that we were attacked. There has to be someone looking for us." Liam replies.

"Exactly," I exclaim. "So, we should see if we can pry off any sheets of metal from the ship to use as the base of our raft. If it's good and strong, it'll be able to support us and our supplies with no problem. Or if the lifeboat is still in good shape, we could use that. Either would serve our purpose."

"Right," Liam replies. So, together we head search the communication room for any items of value. We only find a few brooms that we might be able to use as a mast for a sail. We move on from the communication room and down the hallway. As we move through the ship, we find useful things like two emergency flotation devices, a two tarps, a bundle of rope nylon rope, and a few other odds and ends. We had found a few flare guns and some matches, but they were both soaked beyond use.

Next, Liam and I head into the cafeteria, hoping we can find some food that isn't too badly soaked or just plain disgusting. We only find a few boxes of crackers and a small pouch of dried fruit. I guess we were in need of a supplies shipment.

Lastly, Liam and I head out in hunt of the life boat that we hope will be our new home for however long it takes us to be rescued. We're going to really have to search for it. God only knows where it ended up after the attack. It could be anywhere and in any condition.

"Hey, hey, I think this is it!" Liam exclaims as he starts running towards what he thinks is the lifeboat, well, running as well as one can in waist high water. I join him there and it is most definitely the life boat. Together, we turn it over onto its back so that we can load our stuff with it. Together, we lead the life boat out of the ship and onto some open water.

"Are you ready?" Liam asks me as we hold onto the ship with one hand and onto the life boat with the other.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I tell him. We nod at each other and hop into the life boat, pushing off of the ship to propel ourselves forward.

The first thing we do is set up our life boat. We put one of the tarps in a corner, tied to the sides with some of the rope. This way we'll be able to collect fresh water when it rains. It's a good thing that my Swiss army knife was still clipped onto my pants or everything would be so much harder. We use the other tarp and the brooms we saved from the communication room to build a small shelter. We set the flotation devices in our shelter to use as pillows.

In the life boat, we found a first aid kit, more rope, matches, a blanket that has fleece on the inside and nylon on the outside, and a working flashlight. Liam and I both know that it is going to be scorching hot during the day and freezing cold at night. We're going to have to use our body heat to generate warmth.

Together, we watch as our naval ship continues to sink. I find myself having to choke back tears that threaten to fall from my eyes. I never imagined something like this happening to us. I never thought we would be able to be conquered. I thought it would be us doing the conquering. I thought I was going to be able to return to Panem as a hero. Now, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to ever return to Panem.

Liam and I sit in silence for a long time. Liam ends up getting a little seasick and spends about ten minutes with his head over the side of the life boat. The heat forces us both to sweat, which I know will become a problem. In only a few days, we'll be dehydrated and possibly experiencing symptoms of heatstroke. It'll take about a month before we start becoming, in the literal form of the word, starving. We have a little bit of food, at least. That's better than nothing. I can only hope that we'll be rescued before we reach the brink of death.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"I can't believe we get to find out the sexes of our babies today!" Ivy cheers as we get dressed for our doctor's appointment today. I smile as I listen to my wife's happy rants about all things baby related.

Two weeks ago, right after the holidays, my parents moved in with us. This week, dad has a few appointments with a few doctors and surgeons at the hospital that Ivy and I both work at. We know he'll get the best care there. Mom and dad have been really great these last two weeks. They've helped with the cooking and the cleaning. I know they're afraid they're imposing on our lives, but I'm actually enjoying having them here.

"What do you want?" Ivy asks me, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my chest.

"I'll be happy with anything, as long as they're healthy." I respond, kissing the top of Ivy's head.

"I know you'll be happy with anything, but what do you _want _to have?" Ivy persists. I chuckle at her stubbornness.

"Well, I would like to have at least one boy or one girl. I think it would be nice to have a mix of the two genders. But I wouldn't mind having three boys or three girls." I tell her.

"I think that sounds good. I can't wait to find out for sure!" Ivy exclaims.

An hour later, Ivy and I are in Dr. Styles' office once again. Really, we've been here so often lately that it's like as second home to us. We've been having more frequent visits with Dr. Styles because having triplets is so dangerous, to both the mother and the babies, if anything should go wrong. So far, everything has been going incredibly smoothly.

"Are you ready to find out the sexes of your babies?" Dr. Styles asks us as he turns the ultrasound machine on.

"Ivy's been cheering all morning," I chuckle. Ivy is clutching my hand tightly out of excitement. We've both been waiting for this for four long months. Dr. Styles studies the image on the screen for a moment.

"Well, Baby A is a little boy," He says. I feel a huge grin break out on my face. I have a son.

"We have a son!" Ivy says. I can already tell she is getting misty eyes. I have no doubt there will be tears of happiness before this visit is over.

"Baby B is a little girl," Dr. Styles tells us after studying the next image thoroughly.

"Oh, Alex, a baby girl!" Ivy says, leaning into me. I just nod, too choked up to say anything.

"And, last but not least, Baby C is another little boy," Dr. Styles informs us. This breaks my dam and tears of happiness flow down my cheeks. Two baby boys and a baby girl! What could be more perfect?

"We did it! We're going to get our miracle babies," Ivy says. I nod and out lips meet in a kiss full of pure love.

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**1) Sorry if some of my facts are inaccurate. I had to Google somethings for this chapter. I hope that it was okay**

**2) AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Do you guys like what I did with the genders? I hope you do! Soon to come will be names and not far behind that and you'll get to meet the Abernathy Triplets! Oh, Ivy and Alex will have their hands full for sure!  
**

**3) Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review! I like hearing/reading what you guys think of my chapters!  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey, Everyone! I wrote this chapter yesterday but wasn't able to upload it because I didn't have any internet connection. There will be two more coming up after this one, too, so I hope you enjoy them. Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Seven

Liam Hawthorne's POV

_*Three Days Later*_

Finn and I have been lost at sea for three days now. Finn doesn't like that term, "lost at sea", but I think it fits pretty well into our situation. No one knows we're out here. Our families think we're safe or, for all we know, they think we're dead. Regardless, no one is searching the high seas for us; no one, at all.

Finn and I have been rationing our already meager supply of food. There has only been a few millimeters worth of rain in the last three days. I can already feel the effects that this lack of fresh water is having on my body. I'm tired and weak. Finn doesn't look much better than I feel.

The days, like right now, are deathly hot. We're below the equator, which results in a very humid heat that makes you sweat ten times more than you would in Panem's Capitol. The nights are freezing. Finn and I have spent the last two nights shivering, getting little to no sleep. The lack of sleep, lack of food, and, most of all, the lack of water has started taking its toll on our bodies.

Right now, Finn is trying his hand at fishing, using the nylon rope that we managed to salvage from our sinking naval ship. So far, he hasn't caught anything and it sounds like he might be starting to get frustrated. Right now, he's got a strip of cloth wrapped around his head. He's trying to ward off heatstroke, which has started to threaten us both. In all honesty, it's pretty hard to be lost at sea and dying of thirst at the same time. All that ocean water is looking better and better every day, but I know that drinking it would be suicide. Salt water makes your body desire more and more of it until you begin to go delusional. Before you know it, you're following a giant whale with a golden feast on its back right over the edge of the lifeboat.

"Ahhhh!" Finn yells, throwing the nylon rope back into the boat. He agitatedly runs his fingers through his blonde hair, which is becoming shaggy. His lips are chapped and beginning to crack. His skin is turning red, starting to burn from the ultraviolet rays from the sun. I'm sure I don't look much different.

"How much food we got left?" I ask him.

"Half a dozen crackers and two pieces of dried fruit," Finn replies, his face becoming forlorn. I suddenly become aware of the gnawing hunger deep in the pit of my stomach. My tongue feels dry, like sandpaper.

"How much longer do you think we can survive?" I ask, fearing the answer. I know Finn was really into survival stuff when he was a teenager. He would know how much longer we could make it like this.

"Maybe a week," He says. That sounds like one hell of a week. I don't feel like I could make it the next day, let alone a freaking week!

The sun only grows hotter as it reaches its peak in the center of the sky. Its heat burns against my bare neck. I can feel my skin beginning to turn red. I lick my chapped lips, but my sandpaper tongue does nothing to alleviate the dryness on my lips. There is nothing to ease the thirst in my mouth. I can barely sweat anymore, I am so dehydrated. Maybe this week will fly by and that'll be it. That'd certainly be better than dragging this torture out any longer.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Why can't we name one of the boys Alex Junior?" Alex asks me for the millionth time since we found out that we're going to have two boys and one girl.

"We can let that be one of their middle names. I want their first names to be original," I tell my husband, pecking him quickly on the lips.

"Well, what were you thinking for first names?" Alex asks me.

"I don't know. What were your parents' names?" I ask Alex.

"What do you mean? You know my parents' names," Alex replies, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't mean Haymitch and Effie. I mean your biological parents," I clarify.

"Oh," Alex replies. He visibly gulps, like talking about his biological parents makes him nervous or something.

"Is something wrong?" I ask him.

"No," He replies with a shake of his head.

"Alex, don't lie to me." I tell him. Alex doesn't respond. "Hey, you can tell me," I tell him, walking closer to him pulling him even closer to me.

"It's . . . it's just been a while . . . since I thought about my . . . biological parents," Alex replies, still averting my gaze.

"That's okay. We don't have to name the babies after them if you don't want to." I tell him, my fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"No, no, I think . . . I think it'd be nice to give them their names. My father's name was Silas Cole and my mother's name was Emma Cole." Alex says.

"I like those names," I tell Alex.

"Ivy, do you think that we could . . . maybe name one of the boys after my dad? His middle name is Michael and I've always liked that name." Alex asks me.

"That sounds wonderful. They're all such great names; Michael, Emma, and Silas." I reply, my hand trailing along my abdomen, which has continued to increase in size. Now, I am almost five months pregnant.

"Alex!" I squeal as my husband picks me up and carries me in the direction of our bedroom. He deposits me onto our bed and then begins kissing my stomach.

"Daddy loves all three of you so much and he can't wait to meet you all," Alex murmurs against my stomach. His kisses move from my stomach up to my lips.

"And I love you, too." He tells me, his lips meshing with mine.

"I love you, too." I reply, tangling my fingers into his hair. Alex smiles into our kiss, his hands still resting on my stomach.

"You know, it's been a while," I tell Alex, running my fingers down the front of his chest.

"You're right." Alex says as he moves his lips to my neck. "It has been a while." Alex's hands roam over my body, leaving a trail of passionate fire behind them. As our kiss deepens, I take Alex's bottom lip between my top and bottom teeth.

"Frisky . . . I like it," Alex says with a smile, kissing my lips again.

"I thought you might," I reply, trailing my fingers along the zipper of Alex's jeans. I am just about to unzip them when the closing of the front door of our apartment alerts me to the return of Alex's parents. Alex groans in frustration as we pull apart and fix our clothes.

"Come on; let's go see what the doctors told your dad." I tell Alex as I grab his hand and lead him out to the kitchen.

* * *

**Well, what do you think of the names? I, personally, love them, but I'm the author and I picked those names because I loved them. :) I wanted to get some names in that you don't hear that much (well, sort of). I hope you like them. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! **


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey, Everyone! Another chapter for you all on this wonderful Sunday afternoon! I hope you enjoy! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Eight

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Hello, you two," Mom says as Ivy and I walk into the kitchen.

"What did the doctors say?" I ask, gesturing for my parents and my wife to take a seat at the kitchen table.

"Well, right now, there aren't any donors lined up. I never thought I'd be wishing for someone else to die so I could have their liver." Dad replies, shaking his head.

"You could get a portion of a liver from a living donor," Ivy interjects.

"Dad, I'll still help you out," I tell him. I don't know why dad won't agree to this. It's a simple surgery. We'd both be fine. Everything would end well.

"No," He argues. "We've had this discussion, Alex. I won't let you do that."

"Haymitch, maybe you should. You're running out of time," Mom tells dad, grasping his hand with her own.

"And what if something goes wrong? Then what? Then Ivy's left with three kids and no husband! I'm not going to let my grandkids grow up without a father! I know what that feels like and I'm not going to put them through that!" Dad yells, his face turning an angry shade of red.

"Alright, alright, I won't. I'll drop it," I tell dad, holding my hands up to signify my surrender. Dad nods, simmering down from his outburst. Mom rubs his arm with her hand.

"We still have a few weeks. I'm sure that something will show up soon," Ivy reassures everyone.

"She's right," Mom says. "Everything is going to be fine." Dad and I both nod.

"Now, Alex, do you think we should show your parents the house we're thinking of buying?" Ivy asks me. Last week, Ivy and I found a house that we think is going to be our perfect home. It has a big yard, a lot of space, two stories plus a basement, and it's in a very nice suburb only about a block from Phoenix and Harper's house.

"Yeah," I reply, grabbing the laptop and pulling up the information on the house. It really is a beautiful house. It's painted white and has dark green shutters around the windows. There is a nice deck off of the back door and there are a few trees in the backyard that would be perfect for a tree house.

"It's very nice," Mom says. "Is it in your price range?"

"Yeah, it's actually under our top price." I reply.

"Have you guys put in an offer yet?" Dad asks, clicking through the pictures of the house. This particular house has six bedrooms; four on the top floor and two in the basement. I really love how modern the kitchen is. It has the newest appliances and it's just a beautiful kitchen. I can totally see myself cooking family meals in there.

"Not yet," I reply. "We're going to do that this week."

"Well, I hope you get it. Then your mom and I can help you move." Dad says.

"So do we," I reply, grasping Ivy's hand with mine.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"Do you like this pattern better or the last one better?" I ask my fiancé, Ash Hemlock. We've started planning our wedding and, so far, he hasn't been very helpful in making these plans with me.

"Lilac, I don't really care what the china patterns look like." Ash tells me as he comes to sit down next to me, cradling our five month old son in his arms.

"Could you at least just pick which one you like better?" I ask him, holding up the two pictures to him.

"That one," Ash picks after a few seconds of studying the two pictures.

"Are you sure or are you just picking so I'll leave you alone?" I ask him.

"I'm sure. Really, babe, as long as your happy with our wedding, that's all that matters to me. As long as you are my wife by the end of the day, I'll be happy." Ash replies.

"You are such a hopeless romantic," I tease as I give him a quick kiss.

"Only for you," He replies and I can't help but smile. I pull Ace onto my lap and sit him up.

"How is my baby boy this morning?" I ask him. Ace just smiles and gurgles at me in response.

"I think that means he wants to spend the day with his super cool daddy," Ash says, joining me on the couch in our living room.

"Oh, sure," I chuckle. "That or he just has some gas."

"Either way, it looks like our little boy is very happy," Ash says.

"That he is," I agree.

"I still can't believe we have a son. I never imagined this would happen. When we were teenagers, I was sure you were going to pick Liam." Ash tells me, wrapping his arm around me.

"Back then, I thought Liam was what I wanted. It took me a few years to figure out that he wasn't right for me; you were." I reply, leaning into his embrace.

"Honestly, I couldn't be happier that you picked me," Ash says, kissing the top of my head. I smile as we sit together on our couch, our son in my lap.

I totally agree with Ash. Everything has been completely wonderful this last year. I couldn't imagine my life without these two boys. Ash has been great with everything. He's so great with Ace. I can already tell that they are going to have a wonderful father-son relationship. And Ace, well, he has his moments, but I still love him to death. He's such a cute baby boy. I love spending my days with him while Ash goes to work. We get to bond all day and then I can hand him off to his father at night and catch up on my sleep.

Ash and I both decided, once we had Ace in our lives, that we would take a break from doing performances. So, right now, Ash is just working in songwriting and recording in the studios. It makes us enough money to live comfortably and not have to worry at all. It is nice to have financial security. Life is good.

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**More or less a filler chapter, so sorry for the short length. I guess I didn't know quite where to go with it once I started and I wanted to save what was coming up next for the chapter after this one. Sorry if it sucked. Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey, Everybody! Here's ****the last of the chapters I wrote when I didn't have internet connection. I hope you enjoy it (I think most of you will!). Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Nine

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Five Days Later*_

I can't even remember how long Liam and I have been floating around in the ocean. Too long; I know that for sure. We ran out of food two days ago. I haven't been able to catch any fish and rain has been very scarce. We haven't had any food or water in two days. If you couple that with the extreme, humid heat then you can see how desperate our situation is.

In all these days, we haven't seen any boats or land; absolutely nothing. I guess Liam was right; no one is looking for us. I didn't want to believe it at first. I wanted to stay positive. But now, I can't deny it any more. There's a chance that no one in Panem even knows what happened to our ship and, if they do know, they don't believe that there could be any survivors.

Our only hope is that some Myrivius naval forces happen to cross by where we are. Technically speaking, Panem and Myrivius are allies. No one has ever actually met anyone from Myrivius, but we're both fighting against a common enemy. If we run into any Midland or Zimurya forces, then we're royally screwed. Really, it'd be nice if they just left us alone, but I have a feeling that they would just love to get the chance to take us prisoner.

"We're not going to make it, are we?" Liam asks, his voice nothing more than a croak.

"I don't know," I reply honestly. Really, I have no idea whether or not Liam and I are ever going to see our family again, or Panem, or dry land for that matter. For all we know, we're already dead. I know that our body will only be able to go just a few more days without any water. My skin stings from the burns the sun's ultraviolet rays have given it. My stomach growls and I have already dry wretched a few times from lack of food. My muscles are completely weak. I don't think I could stand up on my own if my life depended on it.

"At least we're not dying as prisoners or something," Liam says, using one of his hands to shield his eyes from the beating sun.

"That's true," I reply, my eyes trained on the horizon. For the first few days, I spent most of my time searching the horizon for a ship that would rescue us. Now I just do it out of habit.

I watch as a speck moves into my line of vision. Hallucinations, I think to myself. I'm not surprised that I'm finally starting to hallucinate. Lack of food and water will do that to you. It's one of the symptoms of heatstroke, too. I guess that is finally starting to set in.

"Finn, are you seeing that?" Liam asks me, moving beside me in our lifeboat.

"It's just a hallucination," I tell him, closing my eyes against the bright sun. I'm so tired.

"How are we both seeing the same hallucination?" Liam asks me.

"I don't know," I reply, too tired to think right now.

"Finn, I don't think it's a hallucination. I think it's a ship." Liam says. I keep my eyes closed. "Finn, wake up!" Liam shouts, shaking me.

"What?" I ask him, forcing my eyes open.

"It's a ship!" Liam exclaims, pointing in the direction of the "speck". I turn my attention over to the horizon. What I previously thought was a hallucinated speck, is now much bigger and taking the form of a ship. It is a ship! This is either good or it's bad.

"If it's Midland or Zimurya, we're screwed." I tell Liam.

"If it's Myrivius, we're saved!" Liam exclaims. "Finn, this could be it. We could be rescued! Finn, we can go home!"

"I guess we can only wait for them to get closer," I respond. So, for the next half an hour, Liam and I wait as the ship gets closer and closer. Once I judge that they are about half a mile away, the ships anchors and a small, motorized boat starts heading in our direction. The closer the small, motorized boat gets to us, I catch the picture of a flag; a Myrivius flag. This is it. We're saved!

"Are you two Panem soldiers?" A man asks us as they stop their motorboat right next to our lifeboat. He's got an accent I've never heard before, but I can't even tell you how happy I am to hear his voice.

"We are. We are!" I tell him. He holds out his hand for us and helps us into the motorboat.

Back on the big naval ship, Liam and I are both immediately sent to the clinic on the ship. We're hooked up to IVs that are specialty designed to pump our bodies full of all the nutrients we lost in these last days. Apparently, Liam and I were lost at sea for eight days. I could have sworn it felt like longer.

"We're going to get you all patched up and then you'll be back in Panem before you know it." The man that rescued us, Jean, tells us as he fills us in on everything that's happened in the last eight days.

Apparently, the Myrivius naval forces ran into the Midland and Zimurya naval forces. There was a battle and Myrivius won it. The war is still going on, but Myrivius showed the enemy whose boss.

"I can't believe we're going home. I never thought I would get to see our family again." Liam says as we sit and eat our first meal of solid food together. All of our meals are going to be highly portion-controlled so that our stomachs can get used to having food in them again.

"I can't wait to see Summer," I say, staring off into space, thinking about my beautiful girlfriend. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Liam's face fall. I know he's been having a hard time with his situation with Destiny. I know he loves her and I know he's thought a lot about what he would do when he got back to her. I think he decided that he wants to patch things up and raise that baby as his own, if Destiny would let him. I think that's the noblest thing Liam's ever done before.

"Hey, don't worry about seeing Destiny. I'm sure everything will work itself out." I tell Liam.

"You know, her baby is born. She's a mother now." Liam says, lost in thought. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl."

"I guess you'll have to find out when we get back." I tell him.

"I could be a good father, don't you think?" Liam asks me.

"I bet you could," I agree.

"I can't wait to get home," Liam says.

"Me either, buddy, me either," I agree.

* * *

**And they're safe! Whoo! Are you all extremely happy now? Did you guys really think I was going to kill them off? Well, I wasn't going to! I have a lot in store for these two. Coming up in the next few chapters: Finn and Summer will reunite, We'll find out what's been happening with Destiny and her mystery baby, and the rest of the family will get to see Finn and Liam back home safe and sound. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review on your way out. **


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey, Everybody! Here's yet another chapter for you all to****night. I decided that I didn't want to study for my PSATs, even though they're in like two days. o.O Oh well . . . At least they don't "Technically" count. Anyhow, Read on!**

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Chapter Forty

Finn Mellark's POV

I am standing on the deck of the Myrivius naval ship the rescued both Liam and me from certain death at sea in a measly lifeboat. The shores of District Four, my home in the country of Panem, come into view. My heart leaps in my chest. I am so close to seeing Summer Emerson, the love of my life. It's been over a year since we saw each other last. I've missed her more than I ever imagined I would miss anyone in my entire life. I can't describe the aching that's been in my chest since we kissed goodbye in District Four.

"Can you believe we're so close to being home?" Liam asks as he joins me on the deck of the ship.

"Not really," I reply. "I honestly thought we were going to die in the lifeboat." I tell Liam. It's the truth. I didn't think I would ever get this chance. I didn't think I'd ever get to see Summer or my siblings or any part of my family again. I thought we were dead for sure.

The ship docks and Liam and I are escorted to the military clinic. We're both still recovering from our near death experiences. I was diagnosed with a concussion, which is why I've been feeling very tired and confused lately. I must be from banging my head against the ship when we were being fired at.

Once I am settled in one of the clinic's rooms, they tell me that my family is waiting in the waiting room to see me. I tell them I want to see Summer first and then wait while they go to get her for me. My heart starts pounding against my ribs at the thought of seeing my girlfriend again after all this time, after I thought I'd never see her again, after I thought I was a dead man.

"Finn!" Summer exclaims before practically throwing herself into my arms. I hold her in my arms, letting her cry for a few minutes. I can understand that she would be emotional after not seeing me for so long. I have to hold back some tears myself.

"They told me everything! I can't believe you're okay! They said you should have died! Oh, Finn, I love you so much!" Summer exclaims, still sobbing into my chest.

"Hey, everything's okay. I'm alright. The docs patched me up. I'm going to be fine, babe." I tell Summer, soothingly rubbing her back.

"I thought for sure that I had lost you. Finn, I was so worried about you this whole time." Summer tells me.

"I know, honey. I missed you so much," I tell her, kissing the top of her head. I am amazed that, after this much time, she still smells the same as she did the last time we were together.

"I missed you, too. Oh, I missed you so much it hurt," Summer replies, her sobs finally ending.

"Well, now we can get back to the way things were before. I promise you that I will never leave you for that long ever again. I don't think I could bare it myself." I tell Summer.

"You promise?" Summer asks, looking into my eyes with her beautiful turquoise eyes.

"I promise," I confirm. She tilts her head up and I lean mine down until our lips meet in our first kiss in over a year. Summer's lips feel the same, yet different against mine. We've both been through a lot since we were last together, but yet we're still the same people we were before everything happened.

"I missed that," I tell Summer when we pull apart.

"Me too," Summer replies, giving me another quick peck on the lips. "I think the rest of your family is dying to see you. A lot has happened in the last year. You have a few new additions to meet." What does that mean? I tell her to bring them in and then wait a few minutes for my family to come into my clinic room.

Mom is the first one in and she practically attacks me with hugs and kisses and then she's crying and telling me how afraid she was that her baby boy was dead. I hug mom and let her cry for a few minutes. I can't even imagine what she's been through, thinking I was dead. Next, dad and I hug. Dad tells me how proud he is of me and how brave and strong I am for surviving through everything. He tells me he's proud to be my father. This, of course, gets me a little bit choked up.

Next up is Phoenix and Harper, with their little girls. I had no idea that they were having twins! That's awesome. Hailey and Hadley are my two nieces. They're so cute. They look exactly like Harper, but they have Phoenix's blue eyes. They really are adorable.

After Phoenix and Harper, I get to see Alex and Ivy. Ivy, to my complete shock, is pregnant with triplets! That was the last thing I ever expected. Last time I was home, Alex and Ivy weren't sure if they were ever going to be able to have children of their own and now they're going to have three babies; two boys and one girl!

And, lastly, I get to see my twin sister, Lilac, her now fiancé, Ash, and their baby boy, Ace Finn. In all honesty, I got pretty choked up when Lilac told me that Ace was named after me. Ace is one adorable baby, too. I guess the Mellarks are just good at making cute babies that grow up into irresistible teenagers and then become very sexy adults.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Lilac tells me. "I was afraid that Ace was going to have to grow up without meeting his amazing uncle."

"I'm glad I get to be here for my nieces and nephews. I think we're going to have a lot of fun," I tell Lilac with a mischievous grin.

"How long are they keeping you here?" Ivy asks me, grabbing my chart and studying it. She is such a doctor.

"I think they're letting me out tomorrow. My injuries aren't that bad. I just have one hell of a concussion." I tell my sister.

"I can see that," Ivy replies, still studying my chart. I roll my eyes. I spend the next two hours hanging out with my siblings, my parents, and my girlfriend. I can't believe everything that I've missed! Phoenix and Harper and Alex and Ivy are now homeowners. Grandpa Haymitch's liver is failing, but the hospital is looking meticulously for a donor. I am uncle to three, with three more on the way. It's crazy. I didn't think would miss this much being gone for a year. Well, I guess a year is a lot of time.

"Well, we're going to go so you can get some rest," Mom says as she gives me another hug. I get hugs from everyone and then I am left with just Summer beside me.

"You're not going, are you?" I ask her, holding her hand tightly. I really don't want her to go. I've missed her so much. I don't ever want to be without her ever again.

"Nope," She replies with a smile. "I was given the okay to stay all night and keep you company."

"Great," I say, kissing my girlfriend goodnight before we situate ourselves to spend the night together; our first night together in over a year.

* * *

**I really hadnt noticed how much Liam and Finn missed until this chapter. Wow. Well, now they'll get to hang out with their family now! I'm going to try to get you the next chapter tonight before I go to bed. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be busy for me so you probably wont get a chapter. I take the PSATs Wednesday and then we have a half day that day so I could get you a chapter or two then. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! **


	41. Chapter 41

**Hello Everybody! This is your last chapter for the night and I'm really excited to see how you all react to it. I am both nervous and excited about hearing your responses. But, I think this is an interesting turn of events so I hope you enjoy it. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-One

Liam Hawthorne's POV

"Hey, kiddo," Dad says as he pokes his head into my clinic room. Unfortunately, they had to split me and Finn up when they brought us into the clinic.

"Hey, dad," I reply with a smile. It's really nice to see my dad again.

"How are you feeling?" Dad asks me.

"Oh, I'm actually in pretty good shape compared to Finn. He got one hell of a concussion." I reply.

"I'm glad you're alright," Dad says. We take a minute to hug.

"Me too," I joke in response. Dad and I talk for a while. He catches me on everything that's happened here while I was gone. I tell him about my time on the ship as an engineer and my time lost at sea as a survivor. Really, I feel a little weird talking to my dad like this. It feels too normal after everything that Finn and I just went through. After a few hours, the nurses make dad leave because I need my rest so I can heal properly. A few minutes after dad leaves, a doctor comes into my room.

"How are feeling this evening, Mr. Hawthorne?" He asks me, sitting down on a stool nearby and then sliding over next to my bed.

"A little tired, but other than that I feel fine." I say, and it's the truth. I don't feel as awful as you would think. I guess I'm just ecstatic to be alive!

"That's wonderful." The doctor replies. "Now, there are some things that I need to inform you of."

"Like what?" I ask him.

"Well, it has to do with your girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, I don't really know." The doctor, Dr. Andrews, tells me.

"Destiny; what about her?" I ask him.

"Well, she was pregnant when you enlisted, am I right?" He asks and I nod. "Well, she had her baby about four months ago. Now, we're not sure why, but Destiny committed suicide shortly after giving birth. She had been given pills for post-partum depression and she just swallowed the entire bottle. She was dead in less than an hour." What? I don't understand why Destiny would do something like this, especially after just having her baby.

"Now, Destiny had put you down as the father of her baby and then we did a few blood tests to confirm and they did confirm that the baby is yours." Dr. Andrews tells me. What? The baby is mine? But . . . but Destiny had said it wasn't mine. She said she had cheated on me. I don't understand!

"Now, for the last few months, the baby, Lucy, has been in a home with a foster family. Liam, I need to know if you want to keep Lucy. If you don't, then all you have to do is sign these papers and we'll put Lucy up for adoption." Dr. Andrews says, placing a piece of paper in front of me. I look at it for a minute. All I have to do is sign this paper and my life will stay the same. I can go on with my normal life as an engineer. I'll be a bachelor. I won't have any responsibilities. I can live a normal life.

Or I can step up to the plate. I was ready to do that back when I still thought the baby – Lucy – was another man's baby. Now . . . now she's mine. I have a daughter. I have a daughter! Why am I even considering giving my daughter up? I can't do that. She's mine. I'm her daddy. I have to take care of her.

"I want to keep her," I tell Dr. Andrews, who actually looks shocked.

"Are you sure?" He asks me.

"Absolutely," I reply. "When can I meet her?" I ask Dr. Andrews.

"We can have the foster parents bring her over tomorrow morning. I am assuming you will need a few days to get your house ready for a baby?" Dr. Andrews asks.

"Yeah, but I might be able to get a friend to help me so I might take her home with me as soon as I get out of here." I tell Dr. Andrews. Dr. Andrews excuses himself and I am left alone.

I can't believe that Destiny's baby is really mine. I have a daughter! Lucy! Lucy is my daughter; Lucy Hawthorne. This is . . . I never imagined . . . I can't . . . wow . . . This was the last thing I expected when I got home. But . . . why did Destiny kill herself? My chest feels heavy and I am filled with a sadness I've never felt before. Destiny is dead. The woman that could have been the love of my life is dead. I don't . . . I can't . . . Tears start rolling down my cheeks. I end up crying myself to sleep.

When I wake up the next morning, a nurse brings me breakfast and then tells me that Lucy will be here in about an hour. So, I spend my free hour showering and then changing into some clothes that my dad brought over for me. I want to make sure I look nice when I meet my daughter for the first time.

An hour later, there is a knock at my door. My nurse walks in, followed by two middle aged adults. The woman is carrying a baby. I feel my heart leap into my throat. This is it. I get to see my daughter for the first time.

"You must be Liam," The man says. "I'm Ken."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I reply.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Jenny," The woman tells me, readjusting Lucy in her arms before shaking my hand. "Are you ready?" She asks me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply. Jenny moves closer to me and carefully hands Lucy over to me. Once she is safe in my arms, I look down at my daughter for the first time. She is asleep and she looks so beautiful and peaceful. She has a crop of dark, black hair on the top of her head. I can't see her eyes right now, since she's asleep, but I am sure they're beautiful.

"She's gorgeous," I whisper, tears slipping from my eyes.

"She is precious. She's such a good baby, too." Jenny tells me, her eyes getting misty. Ken and Jenny have had Lucy for four months. They must have grown attached.

"Thank you for taking care of her for me," I tell them sincerely, looking them both in the eye.

"Oh, it was our pleasure. Just promise us you'll take good care of her?" Jenny asks me.

"I will take very good care of her. She's my everything." I tell them, staring down at the sleeping angel in my arms; my Lucy.

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**Well, yay or nay? I hope you don't absolutely hate it! And if you do, I hope you warm up to it. I know a lot of people didn't really like Destiny anyway so . . . But, hey, Liam has a daughter! :D Thanks for reading please review! **


	42. Chapter 42

**Hey Everybody! YAY a chapter! My physics test was put off until Friday, so I only have one test to study for tonight. So, I had time to write! Are you excited? Well, I hope you enjoy it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Two

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Three Days Later*_

"I really appreciate you helping me out," Liam tells me for the tenth time since I got to his new apartment.  
"It's not a problem," I tell him as we finish setting up the crib that Liam's new baby girl will be using. I still can't believe Liam is a father. And his daughter is the cutest thing ever! Baby Lucy is just adorable!

It makes me sad to hear that Destiny committed suicide and I feel really bad for Liam. I know he loved her; he still does kind of. I couldn't imagine my life without Ash, the love of my life. I don't know how Liam is functioning so well. I guess he just wants to make sure his daughter is okay.

"I'm really glad I got you to help me out. Lucy is just going to love this bedroom!" Liam says. Liam and I finished painting the nursery this morning and just finished setting up all the furniture. Yellow walls and white furniture really do go well together.

"I do hope she likes it," I reply, looking around the room.

"I'm sure she will. Plus, she's got all those new toys and clothes that you bought her. You really didn't have to do that, you know." Liam says.

"I wanted to! Every girl needs a proper wardrobe and every baby needs fun toys! I can't wait until we get Lucy and Ace together for a play date! Those two would have so much fun together." I tell Liam.

"I think Lucy would like that." Liam replies with a smile. I know he's been having a rough couple of days with all this parenting stuff. I had to give him a few crash courses in diaper changing and baby bathing and nap times and feeding times. I lent him the books Ash and I both read before we had Ace and I'm hoping they'll help him out a bit.

Really, I'm surprised Liam is doing so well with all this. He really stepped up to the plate here. It takes a real man to drop everything and become a daddy. Watching Liam with Lucy really makes you think that the way Liam acts around her is the way every father should act with his children. He's already such a wonderful father. Lucy is one lucky baby to have Liam as her daddy.

"I'm going to take a break and sit with your daughter," I tell Liam as I go into his new living room where Lucy is sleeping in her carrier. I carefully lift her out of the carrier and hand her to Liam, instructing him to change her diaper. I watch him, making sure he's got that down. Liam finishes and hands Lucy back to me.

"Was it hard for you when you became a parent?" Liam asks me as we sit together on his couch, Lucy in my lap as she starts to wake up from her nap.

"Not really," I tell him. "I already considered myself a parent once I got pregnant. But I know it's different for guys. I guess you guys have to see the baby before it really sinks in."

"Yeah," Liam says. "I was completely shocked when they told me about Lucy. Destiny had told me the baby wasn't mine. I guess she just didn't know whose it was. I never thought I would have a daughter when I came home. That was the last thing I expected." Liam says, gently running his fingers over Lucy soft baby hair.

"It's a pretty great feeling, isn't it?" I ask Liam.

"The greatest," He replies with smile. I hand him his daughter and then watch the two of them for a few minutes. The way Liam holds Lucy just shows you how much he loves her. It shows you that he would do anything to keep his baby girl safe. And the way Lucy looks up at Liam, it's just pure love. It's as simple as that. Lucy loves her daddy. Liam loves his daughter. It's perfect.

"I'm going to get going. Call me and we'll set up a play date for Lucy and Ace." I tell Liam as I get up from the couch.

"Will do," Liam replies, still keeping his eyes trained on his baby girl. I let myself out of Liam's apartment, glad that Liam has finally found the girl he's always needed in his life.

Finn Mellark's POV

Water sloshes over the lifeboat. The waves are at least three or four stories high. Mountains of seawater come plunging down on me as I desperately try to keep myself from sloshing out of the boat. The waves are too big and the wind is too powerful. The lifeboat capsizes and I am thrust into the dark sea. I tumble about, completely disoriented. I have no clue where I am or which way is up. I am in pitch darkness. I try to open my eyes, but the salt burns them. This is it. This is how I am going to die.

"Finn, Finn; Finn, wake up!" I hear. Someone is shaking my body. "Finn, please wake up." Whoever is speaking to me shakes me harder. My eyes fly open and I sit straight up. My body is covered in a cold sweat. My heart is pounding in my chest and my breathing is shallow.

"Finn, honey, are you alright?" My girlfriend, Summer, asks me, laying her hand on my shoulder. I nod silently.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks me. It is clear by her tone that she is worried about me. I just silently shake my head again.

"Are you sure?" Summer asks. I feel bad that I don't want to talk about it, but I really don't want to talk about it right now. Right now I just want to lie back down with my girlfriend and go back to sleep. That's all I want.

"Can we just go back to bed? I'm really tired." I ask Summer.

"Of course we can," Summer replies. We lie back down, Summer cuddling up to my side and resting her arm over my chest. I wrap my arm around her body, my hand rubbing her hip bone.

"I love you," I tell Summer.

"I love you, too, Finn," Summer replies, kissing me on the cheek.

Summer Emerson's POV

Something is wrong with Finn. Ever since we got home, he's been having nightmares and flashbacks. He always tells me he's fine, but I'm worried about him. He doesn't look like he's been sleeping well and I'm afraid that that is going to have a long term impact on him. It is weird seeing Finn, the strongest, bravest, most care-free guy I've ever known, so skittish and tired. I feel so bad for him. I hope I'll be able to help him through this.

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**Good? Bad? Horrible? This was I guess kind of a filler chapter. It kind of set the stage for further chapters, which are to come up soon. Next up I think we'll be seeing three new characters and a Hemlock-Mellark Wedding! I can't wait! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hey Everybody! I am so excited for this chapter so I'm not even going to ramble at you guys. Read on!**

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Chapter Forty-Three

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I final join my wife in our bed. I needed to finish a few articles because I want to be able to devote as much time to my children as possible once they finally get here. We're in the home stretch now. The Abernathy triplets should be arriving any day now.

My parents, Ivy, and I spent the last two weeks making sure everything was ready for the babies. We painted and decorated the nurseries. Dad and I put together the cribs and moved the furniture around until Ivy and mom thought the room looked perfect. Ivy and I decided that we wanted the babies to share one room for the first few months or even the first year. It'll just make it easier on us and Ivy says that multiples like to be near each other.

I know that Ivy is incredibly worried about our babies, since they'll be born prematurely. We're at the point right now where, if they were to be born, there is an 80% chance of survival. Those are really good odds, but Ivy is still worried sick about it. I can understand why. I'm worried, too. I don't know what we'd do if we lost these babies, too.

I crawl into bed and Ivy automatically shifts in her sleep so she is cuddled up to my side. I wrap my arms around her, my hands resting on her protruding abdomen. It'll be weird when Ivy isn't pregnant anymore. Then, we'll have three lives to look after. We'll be in charge of keeping three small, helpless humans alive and well. Three human beings are going to be completely dependent on _me._

I guess it never really sank in until . . . now. These three little babies are going to be looking to me for everything: their food, their comfort, their protection. I'm responsible for them. It's my responsibility to make sure they're happy and healthy at all times. I . . . it's just. . . Wow . . .

"Hey, you came to bed," Ivy says through a thick cloud of sleep as her eyes flutter open just a little.

"I did," I reply, pressing my lips to Ivy's forehead. "Go back to sleep." I tell her, securing her gently next to me. Ivy snuggles into me and I lay my head back onto my pillow. As my eyes close, all I can think about are my babies.

"Alex," I hear someone say. "Alex, I need you to wake." I respond with an unintelligible grumble. "Alex, honey, I'm having contractions." I sit up and practically jump out of bed. Ivy's having contractions! This is it! We're having the babies! I'm going to be a father! I'm going to be a father!

"All little excited are we?" She asks me, trying to suppress her laughter as she watches me from our bed.

"You're in labor. We have to go to the hospital!" I reply. I quickly check the clock. It's a little pasted four in the morning.

"Well, unless you want to go there in your boxers, you might want to take a minute to slow down. My contractions are still about ten minutes apart. I've been timing them for an hour." Ivy tells me.

"An hour! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" I ask her.

"Because I knew you would freak out just like you are now. Alex, honey, just relax. I don't want you to be all stressed out. This is a big thing, yes, but it's also a happy thing. So just try to relax and be happy, okay?" Ivy requests.

"Alright, alright," I reply, pulling on a pair of jeans that I'm pretty sure are dirty. Whatever, I don't even care. I take about fifteen minutes making sure everything Ivy could possibly need is in the hospital bag. Then I make sure the right things are in the baby bag. Ivy picked out cute little onesies for them each of them for their first day home and my mom knitted them each a little hat to keep their heads warm.

I go and wake up my parents, telling them that Ivy is having contractions and that we'll be heading to the hospital soon. My mom, of course, totally freaks out. I have to talk her out of coming with us to the hospital. It'll probably be a little while before Ivy has the babies, even though we'll be having a C-section.

And so, Ivy and I leave for the hospital. It is about a five minute ride from our house to the hospital, but it seems like it takes much longer. Ivy holds onto my hand, squeezing when a contraction hits. I can already tell that it's going to be hard for me to have to watch her in pain, even if it's only for a few hours.

On the labor and delivery floor of the hospital, Ivy and I are showed to our room and make ourselves comfortable. Jackie, our nurse, tells us she will page Dr. Styles and that he should be here within the hour. I pull a chair up to Ivy's hospital bed and we sit together.

"Are you ready to be a daddy?" Ivy asks me, her fingers playing with my hair.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply with a small smile. I feel a lot more nervous than I did when we found out we were pregnant or even when we found out we were having triplets. It's all becoming so much more real. "Are you ready to be a mommy?" I ask Ivy.

"So ready," She replies, a huge grin breaking out on her face. "I've waited for this for so long. _We've _waited for this for so long and it's finally happening. We're getting our miracle babies." I can't help but smile when Ivy puts it like that. It has been a long road getting to this point and now we're finally here.

"I love you," I whisper into my wife's ear.

"I love you, too." She replies. Another contraction hits and Ivy reaches for my hand. I give it to her and she squeezes so tightly that I think she might shatter the bones in my hand. It hurts me to see my wife is this kind of pain and there's nothing I can do to alleviate it for her.

"Are you alright?" I ask her once the contraction has subsided.

"Yeah," Ivy replies, nodding her head.

"Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy, it's great to have you here!" Dr. Styles says as he enters our hospital room.

"It's great to be here," Ivy replies with a smile.

"Ivy, how are you feeling so far?" Dr. Styles asks my wife, pulling a chair up next to the bed.

"It's not too bad yet." Ivy tells me. I really hope she's being truthful about this. But even just a little pain is too much for me.

"That's good. Now, we gave you that medicine last week to help speed up the babies' lung growth so I am hoping that the only major issue will be their size. They will be very small and will probably have to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for two to four weeks. Other than that, I have a feeling that everything will go smoothly for the Abernathy babies." Dr. Styles says. Dr. Styles stays and chats with us for a while; he doesn't have any other patients tonight.

I take a few minutes to go out to the phone at the front desk of the labor and delivery floor. I have to call our family. I'm sure they all want to be here as soon as possible. First, I call Ivy's parents and everyone else who is still living in District 12. Then I call Summer and Finn in District 4. Lastly, I call Lilac and Ash, Phoenix and Harper, and Liam here in the Capitol.

Soon, it's time to prep Ivy for her C-section. The anesthesiologist come and gives Ivy her epidural, which will be blocking the nerves in Ivy's lower body during the surgery. I am instructed to change into a set of scrubs and to wash my hands. This is it. When I leave this room, I am going to be a father.

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**I'd leave you in suspense, but I just can't do it. The next chapter will be up tonight yet. Are you all so excited to meet the Abernathy babies? It's about time, right? Oh, I can barely contain my excitement. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Okay, so I want to know who you picture as these characters, as in actors/actresses. I'm just curious to see what you guys think about this. I only have like two characters figured out and was wondering if you guys had any thoughts on it. Thanks so much for reading and please review!  
**


	44. Chapter 44

**Hey, Everybody! I hope you're all excited for this chapter! I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Four

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I take a seat on the stool one of the nurses provides me with. I take Ivy's hand in mine and kiss her knuckles.

"Hey," Ivy says. She's a little bit out of it from a medication Dr. Styles gave her to keep her relaxed during the surgery.

"Hey, beautiful," I reply, smiling down at my wife who is about to become the mother of my children.

"We're going to have babies," Ivy says.

"We are," I confirm, holding Ivy's hand tighter.

Dr. Styles starts the surgery, one of the other OB/GYNs assisting him, along with a few nurses and the anesthesiologist. I alternate between watching the surgery and looking down at Ivy. She looks just a tiny bit worried, but I think the medication has her pretty chilled out right now. She's still holding on tightly to my hand, however.

Less than ten minutes later, I watch as Dr. Styles brings my first child into this world. It's my son, my first born son; Michael Alexander Abernathy. His head is covered in curly, dark brown hair. My eyes tear up as I listen to his first cries. He is so small, but he's here. He's finally here.

I take a minute to kiss my wife, who is crying, having heard the cries of her first born son. Dr. Styles hands Michael Alexander off to a nurse, who brings him around so Ivy can see him. She kisses his forehead before the nurse goes to clean him off and take his measurements.

It isn't long before our next baby enters the world. My baby girl, Emma Katniss Abernathy, arrives into the world without a hitch. She, like her older brother, is small, but here, happy and healthy. Atop her head there is a nice bit of red hair. It looks like I've cursed her with my hair. Her cries fill the room, her brother's having ceased. Now I don't even try to hold back my tears. I just let them flow freely. Another nurse brings Emma Katniss over to Ivy, introducing mother and daughter for the first time. All too soon, Emma Katniss is taken away to be cleaned and whatnot.

A few minutes later, the last baby arrives. He'll be considered the baby of the bunch for his entire existence; Silas Phoenix Abernathy. He is, by far, the smallest of the three. I have a feeling he'll be a little on the small side his whole life. That's alright. There's nothing wrong with being small as long as he's healthy and happy. Ivy will love his hair. It's just like mine; reddish-brown with tight curls. He only cries for a few moments before he is once again silent. Well, I hope he's like that when we get him home. The nurse brings him over to Ivy so she can meet her smallest baby.

"He has your hair," Ivy tells me once Silas Phoenix has been taken away.

"He does," I reply. We take a moment to kiss.

"We did it," Ivy tells me once we pull apart. There are still tears of happiness in her eyes and her smile is bigger than I've ever seen it before.

"We did it," I repeat, kissing my wife and the mother of my children once again. Ivy is wheeled into our new room on her gurney. I follow close behind. In our new room, we wait anxiously for the arrival of our babies.

"I couldn't resist being here for this," Dr. Styles says as he follows behind the nurses that wheel our triplets into our room. The nurse hands Ivy Michael and Silas first and then hands me Emma. My baby girl is fast asleep, looking so beautifully peaceful. I cradle her in my arms, holding her close to my chest. I run my fingers over her cheek and soft baby hair. She is my beautiful baby girl.

"Wanna switch?" Ivy asks me. I don't really want to let go of Emma, but I can't wait to hold my sons. With the help of a nurse, we trade babies and I sit back down with Michael and Silas in my arms.

Baby Silas is fast asleep, but his brother is wide awake. He's just kind of looking around, not really focusing on anything. His dark hair mixes well with his grey eyes. He is already quite a looker. For a moment, Michael's eyes focus on me and I feel my heart swell in a way I have never felt before. I feel like he recognizes me. He knows who I am. He knows I am his daddy.

Silas, who is fast asleep, is so small compared to his brother. Apparently, Michael is four pounds and two ounces and Silas is on two pounds and ten ounces. That's almost half. He's so little, but he has already stolen my heart. They all have. I am their daddy and they are my babies.

"Can you believe they're all ours?" Ivy asks me once the nurses and Dr. Styles have left us to be a lone for a little bit.

"No," I reply, still staring down at my sons.

"I never thought this day would come and here it is!" Ivy says. Ivy and I sit in silence, staring down at our babies until Lilac pokes her head into our room.

"Hey, are you guys ready for visitors?" Lilac asks us.

"Yeah," Ivy replies with a smile. And with that, my parents, Lilac, Ash, Phoenix, Harper, and Liam flood into the room. Summer, Finn, Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, Nash, and Gale must still be on their way here.

"Are you going to introduce us or what?" Lilac asks. I guess she's pretty excited about her newest nephews and nieces.

"Well, this is Michael Alexander Abernathy," Ivy says, pointing over to Michael who is still in my arms. Everyone, of course, oohs and ahhs over him.

"This little girl is Emma Katniss Abernathy," Ivy says, running her finger over Emma's auburn hair.

"And this is Silas Phoenix Abernathy," I say, finishing up the introductions for Ivy. Once they have been introduced, everyone wants to hold the babies. Ivy and I can't help but chuckle as I watch our family interact with Michael, Emma, and Silas for the first time. Michael just kind of looks around at everyone; already intrigued with his family. Emma and Silas finally wake up and start to take things in. After a while, Silas makes it known that he wants to be back in his mother's arms, so Lilac passes him back to Ivy.

"What do you think?" I ask my dad once things have kind of simmered down a bit.

"You did good, kiddo," He replies with a smile.

"No 'I told you so's?" I ask.

"Of course not," Dad replies. "I'm happy for you and Ivy. And I can't wait to play with my grandbabies. Conversation continues, mostly circling around the new babies. Around seven in the morning, there's a knock at the door.

"Is Mr. Abernathy in here; Haymitch Abernathy?" A doctor I've never seen before asks.

"Yes," Dad replies, looking a little nervous.

"Mr. Abernathy, a liver just came in. I was sent to collect you and get you to transplant surgery." The doctor says. Dad looks back at me and mom, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Go," I tell him, a smiling appearing on my face. Dad nods, gives mom a kiss, and then follows the doctor. My babies are here and my dad is getting the liver that he desperately needs. Everything is finally right.

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**The babies are here! Was there enough cuteness? I hope it was adequate! The next chapter will have Katniss and Peeta meeting their newest grandbabies and we'll bring the Abernathy babies to their new home! That'll come tomorrow though. Sorry. Thank you all so much for reading! Thanks for sticking with me! I know it took me awhile to get to this point! Please leave me a review!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Hey Everybody! Here's your next chapter! It took me forever to write this for some reason, so I hope you like it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Five

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"I still can't believe they're here," I whisper, cradling a sleeping baby Silas in my arms. They've only been here for six hours, but they've already completely captured my heart. Right now, baby Emma is asleep in one of the hospital cribs and Alex is attempting to master the art of diapering a live baby, using Michael as his test subject.

"It's amazing," Alex replies, smiling down at Michael as he changes his diaper. Alex has been on cloud nine all day. First, we finally got to meet our babies and then his father gets a liver transplant not even two hours later; two miracles in one day. Well, technically it's four miracles in one day.

Alex and I resume our comfortable silence. We're both so focused on appreciating our little miracles. I can't even describe how I feel right now. I knew I would feel different, but I didn't know exactly how I would feel differently than I did before. And now . . . now I can only describe how I feel in one way: I am a mother. That's what's changed, that's what's different, and that's how I feel now. Family has always been important to me, but now it's the most important thing to me.

"Knock, knock," I hear my dad say as he raps his knuckles against the door of the hospital room.

"Hey, I'm so glad you guys are here!" I exclaim, making sure to keep my voice down a bit. I wouldn't want to wake Emma and Silas up from their nap.

"We're glad we're here, too," Mom says as she eagerly walks over to me. "Now, I do believe I need to be introduced to my new grandbabies." Alex walks over to us, Michael in one arm and Emma in the other.

"Well, in Alex's left arm we have Michael Alexander Abernathy," I introduce my parents to their new grandson. Mom goes over to Alex and together they carefully maneuver Michael into my mom's arms.

"Oh, I can already tell he is going to be a looker! You'll have to beat the women off him with a stick," Mom says as she cradles Michael in her arms, smiling down at him.

"Everyone's said that today," I reply with a smile, watching my mother interact with my oldest son. He's the oldest, but not by much; only a mere three minutes. After a few more minutes, Alex and mom again switch babies. Mom ends up with Emma this time.

"That baby girl is Emma Katniss Abernathy," I tell mom and dad. Mom's eyes start to tear up even more than they already were.

"You gave her my name?" Mom asks as she turns to me.

"Of course we did. Why shouldn't we have named her after you? The names Silas and Emma came from Alex's biological parents. Michael is Haymitch's middle name and Silas's middle name is after Phoenix. Why shouldn't our baby girl be named after her grandmother, the strongest and most brave woman I've ever met?" I ask. Mom just tears up more and gives me a tight hug, careful both of the baby in her arms and baby Silas in my arms.

"And who is this little bundle of joy?" Mom asks, running her fingers over Silas reddish-brown, curly hair. I was so happy when I found out one of our babies had Alex's hair!

"This is Silas Phoenix Abernathy," I reply, smiling down at my sleeping boy. Mom and I trade babies, resulting in both Emma and Silas waking up. Emma cries a little and it takes me a moment to soothe her, but Silas remain quiet. I've already noticed that there isn't much that fazes him. He likes to be content and quiet. The only reason he's cried so far is because he's hungry or has a dirty diaper.

"Oh, he is precious," Mom says, cradling Silas in her arms. "He looks just like his daddy," Mom notices, looking up at Alex. Alex just smiles. His arms are empty, having handed Michael off to my dad. Alex wouldn't say it out loud, but I can tell that he's glad one of the babies looks a lot like him. I absolutely love that Silas is physically a mini-Alex and I am hoping they'll be a lot alike in their personalities, too.

"How long until you can bring them home?" Dad asks, sitting on the edge of my bed, still holding Michael in his arms.

"Dr. Styles said they have to stay here until they're all at least four pounds. Michael is already there, but Emma has a little ways to go yet and Silas is only two pounds and ten ounces." I reply.

"He does look little," Mom says, caressing Silas's hair.

"Yeah, besides their weight, they're all perfectly healthy. The drug the Dr. Styles gave me a week before I went into labor helped their lungs develop enough so they could function outside of the womb." I explain.

"That's good. I'm sure you'll have this little guy big enough to go home in no time." Mom replies.

"How long are you guys planning on staying?" I ask my parents.

"Well, we can stay as long as you'd like us to." Dad tells me.

"Are you sure? What about the bakery?" I ask him.

"I've got a few employees who are keeping an eye on the bakery. We'd love to stay here as long as you'll have us." Dad replies.

"We'd love to have you stay here for a week or two," Alex says, taking a seat on the bed next to me.

"Are you sure? It won't be too crowded with the babies and your parents?" Mom asks Alex.

"Not at all," He replies. "Right now, dad's going to be in the hospital for at least a week to make sure his body doesn't reject the new liver. And I think it'd be great to have you stay with us. I'm sure your grandbabies would love to get to know their grandparents."

"Please?" I plead.

"Of course we'll stay," Dad replies. We spend the next few hours just chatting, but visiting hours came to an end too soon. Alex gave my parents a key to our house and told them to make themselves at home.

"You look tired," Alex says as he sits back down next to me after burping the babies and putting them to sleep. I am tired, actually. It's been a long day. I gave birth, I met my babies, I introduced my babies to my family, and I learned how to breastfeed in less than a twenty-four hour period. That is one hell of a day.

"I am," I tell him, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Why don't you go to sleep? I'll wake you up if the babies need to eat again." Alex suggests.

"Are you sure? Aren't you tired?" I ask him. I would hate it if I was depriving him of sleep.

"I'm okay right now. Plus, I didn't do nearly as much as you did today." He replies, kissing the top of my head.

"Alright, I'll sleep, but I want to use you as my pillow." I tell Alex, making myself comfortable. Alex wraps his arm around me and I am able to use his shoulder as my pillow.

"I love you, daddy." I say, snuggling into Alex's embrace.

"I love you, too, mommy." He replies, kissing the top of my head again. I close my eyes and am pulled into a deep sleep quicker than I anticipated.

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**Say it with me "Awwwwwwwwwwww". Was that cute enough for you all? Katniss and Peeta will be in the next chapter as well, as the babies will be coming home in the next chapter. I'm going to try to get that chapter to you guys, but I'm not sure what'll happen. I have homework to finish up and I've got one heck of a headache that won't go away and I'm exhausted after getting a bad night's sleep and taking my PSATs this morning. If I don't get a chapter up tonight, the next one will be up late Friday night. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! **


	46. Chapter 46

**Hey Everybody! Sorry this one took a long time, too. I'm just really easily distracted today I guess. I blame it on lack of sleep. Hopefully I fix that tonight. I loved writing this chapter and I hope you love reading it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Six

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Today, a week after Michael, Emma, and Silas were born, we are all going home together for the first time. Over the last week, Ivy and I both spent most of our time in the hospital, but there was a couple of a nights I made Ivy go home and get a good night's sleep. She did the same for me, too, so we were both able to function well at the hospital.

"Are you excited to be going home today?" Ivy asks the babies as she buckles them into their car seats. They all stare back at her, simply not amused.

"Oh, they're totally excited," I tease Ivy, kissing her on the lips.

"I'm sure they'll be happy when they get home and into their beautiful nursery," Ivy says, giving each of the babies kisses on the head.

"Let's get this show on the road." I say, grabbing Michael and Silas' car seats. Ivy grabs Emma's car seat and the hospital bag and we head down the elevator to the hospital lobby. Down in the lobby, a bunch of nurses and doctors that Ivy and I either have worked with or know personally are there to tell us how happy they are for us, how cute the babies are, and that they can't wait to see us back to work. Ivy and I both opted to take a month off to get adjusted to raising our babies. Ivy will most likely take up to three months off; to both bond with the babies and to recuperate from her C-section.

Peeta and my dad meet us at the door with the SUV that Ivy and I bought to cart our family around in. We really need all the extra space with three infants. Ivy and I buckle the car seats into the SUV and then sit in the backseats with our babies while Peeta drives us back to the house. Our house is going to be a little crowded for the next week, since Katniss and Peeta are staying with us for the next week. With three infants, Katniss, Peeta, my mom, and my dad (who is still getting over his liver transplant) it is going to feel a little full in our house.

Also, there is going to be a get together at Phoenix and Harper's house at the end of this week, just before Katniss and Peeta head back to District 12. Finn and Summer are going to come into town from District Four. Ash's parents and Liam's dad are going to come to the Capitol, too. It's going to be a lot of fun. It'll be the first time all the babies are going to be together.

Once we're home, Ivy and I head upstairs to show Michael, Emma, and Silas their nursery. What Ivy and I did was personalize the area on the wall above each of their cribs. For Michael, we put wood carvings of the letters of his name on the wall, along with some sports themed things. For Emma, we put her name on the wall just like with Michael's, but we put flowers on the wall instead of sports. And, for Silas, we, again, put his name up there and then did an Outer Space theme. Ivy and I wanted to make sure we let each of the babies be their own person, rather than always viewing them as "triplets".

Ivy and I put Michael, Emma, and Silas into their cribs and watch them for a few minutes. I wrap my arm around Ivy and pull her to my side. It's been a while since we were both at home, together. I hated being home without my wife. To me, it's not home unless my family is there.

"I'm so glad we're home," I whisper into Ivy's ear, taking a moment to kiss her neck.

"Did you miss being alone?" She asks me, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Very much so," I reply, nipping at the sensitive skin of Ivy's neck. I know we can't have sex. Ivy's body is still healing from the surgery and I wouldn't want to put off her healing process with any strenuous activity . . .

"Come on, your mom made us lunch." Ivy says, grabbing my hand and the baby monitor and dragging me downstairs with her. Downstairs, we all sit around our kitchen table and eat together. It's nice to be able to eat a meal with my wife for the first time in a weak. And my mom's food is so much better than the food at the hospital! About half way through lunch, Emma starts crying. It's amazing how I can already tell which baby is crying just by the sound.

"I'll take care of her. She probably just wants some attention." I tell Ivy. I give her a quick kiss before heading upstairs to take care of my baby girl.

"Hi, baby girl, did you miss your daddy? Is that why you're crying, baby girl?" I ask Emma softly as I pick her up from her crib and cradle her close to my chest. I move over to one of the rocking chairs and sit down so I can rock Emma for a little while.

"Daddy loves you, you know? I really do, baby girl." I whisper to my baby girl. "I'll always love you, no matter what. When you're older and a jerk hurts you, I'll be there. I'll always protect you from everything I can. You're daddy's baby girl. You'll always be daddy's baby girl." As we rock, Emma's eyelids begin to droop. Newborns sure do sleep an awful lot. Even after Emma is back to sleep, I can't bring myself to put her down. I know that she'll only be little for a little while. Time flies and, in no time, she'll be a teenager and then all grown up.

"Hey," I hear Ivy say. I look up and see Ivy in the doorway. "Did you lose track of time?" She asks with a knowing smile on her face.

"I guess so," I reply, smiling at my wife.

"Is she asleep?" Ivy asks me.

"Yeah," I reply. "She's beautiful; just like her mother."

"You are such a flirt," Ivy says, sitting down on the floor next to the rocking chair.

"Hey, I only speak the truth," I defend, nudging Ivy with my elbow. Ivy just rolls her eyes at me. I know she's concerned about losing the baby weight from her pregnancy. Really, I love her the same with it as I would without it. Ivy's my wife, the love of my life. I'm not going to change my mind about loving her because she gained a few pounds. Those extra pounds signify that Ivy gave me the three most beautiful babies on the face of the earth. I wouldn't change that for anything in the world.

"Do you need to feed them?" I ask Ivy.

"Yeah, but you two can stay put for a little bit. I'll feed Michael and Silas first." Ivy says as she gets up from the floor. She heads over to Michael's crib first, scoops him up into her arms, and then heads over to the other rocking chair in the room. We both figured having two rocking chairs was just a good idea. I watch as my wife coaxes our eldest son awake and then positions him to feed. I must say that there is nothing more magical then watching your wife breastfeed your child. And I totally mean that in a non-creepy, non-sexual manner. It's just so . . . I don't even know how to describe it.

Once Michael is full, Ivy burps him and then sets him back in his crib before grabbing Silas. Silas takes a few more minutes longer to coax awake than Michael did and then he seems adamant against eating.

"Come on, stubborn boy, I know you're hungry," Ivy says to Silas. She trails her finger along his cheek while holding him to her chest, trying to coax him to eat. After a few minutes, she is successful and Silas is suckling away. Once Silas is done, Ivy and I trade babies. I get up and let Ivy feed Emma in the rocking chair I was just sitting in. I put a burp cloth on my shoulder and then situate Silas into the burping position the nurses showed me in the hospital. I get a good burp out of him and then rocking him for a few minutes before returning him to his crib. Ivy finishes feeding Emma and burps her before handing her off to me. I rock her a little bit before putting her back into her crib, just like I did with Silas. Michael is already fast asleep again. Ivy and I stand in the doorway for a little while, just watching our babies sleep. I love being a daddy.

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**Yeah, my feels are definitely going pretty crazy right now. I don't think I've ever written that much fluff in my entire life. Whew . . . I hope you liked it! Unfortunately, the next chapter will not be coming until late Friday night. I have a tennis party to go to tomorrow after school and then I am going to the school play with a friend Friday night (after skipping school to go on a college visit! :D). But, I have no life so I'll be writing this weekend, along with hopefully starting my chemistry semester project and then finishing up my Collab Capitol Chapter. OH! And sleeping. A lot of sleeping. Seriously, junior year is starting to kill me, slowly and painfully. Anyhow! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Hey, Everybody! Guys, I am so so so sorry I didn't update at all since Wednesday! I feel horrible! I spent my weekend with a headache that just wouldn't go away and I couldn't get myself to write anything. I didn't want to write something that would be bad, so I just waited. I'm feeling better today and this week is only a three day week so Thursday and Friday should be good updating days (hopefully). I have like three tests already on Wednesday, so you might not get anything tomorrow. I'm going to try to get one more in tonight for you all. Thanks for sticking with me! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Seven

Ivy Abernathy's POV

I groan as Emma's cries pierce the silence of the night. I quickly pull myself out of bed and scoop Emma out of her bassinet. My miracle babies – Michael, Emma, and Silas – are now all two weeks old. They are the most adorable things on the face of the earth during the day, but at night they are little terrors. I love them, I really do. They mean everything to me but . . .

Every night, I am up about 99.99% of the time with them. Alex has tried to get up and take care of them, but they simply prefer me. I guess I should enjoy that more than I am. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my babies. I love them so much. It's just that . . . I haven't gotten more than twelve hours sleep in total since they were born. I'm up at least every two hours for feedings and then they wake up later and need to be changed or just want attention. This is usually when Alex tries to get up and take care of them, but they just cry and cry until I get up and hold them for a while.

I don't know what I am going to do when Alex goes back to work in a few weeks. He's been a great help during the day. While I have been busy with the babies, he's been taking care of things around the house. He's been doing the laundry, the dishes, keeping the house clean, and doing all the cooking. I'm hoping the babies will be sleeping for longer periods so I will at least be able to get some sleep. During the day, I will have to make optimal use of nap times.

My mom and dad left late last week. They didn't want to go and Alex and I weren't too crazy about them being so far away, but it's the way things are right now. Mom and I talked a little about the possibility of them moving closer to us. Since they have six grandchildren now, it'd be nice for them to be closer.

The same thing is going on with Alex's parents. Haymitch was just released from the hospital and they went back to District 12 with my parents. Alex and I are both elated that Haymitch got a liver. I know Alex was quite distraught over the possibility of losing his adoptive father. I think Haymitch and Effie are seriously considering moving to the Capitol. Haymitch doesn't despise it as much as he used to now that the government is a Republic; well, that and his wife is from the Capitol and he loves her more than anything.

"Shh baby girl," I whisper to my crying daughter. I'd hate to wake Alex up. One of us should at least get some decent sleep. But, of course, Emma doesn't want to stop crying. I just fed her about half an hour ago, so she shouldn't be hungry. Her diaper doesn't need to be changed either. I guess she just wants a little attention.

"Babe," I hear Alex say through a fog of sleep. I turn my head around from where I am sitting on the corner of the bed.

"Hey, go back to sleep." I tell him softly. Alex just shakes his head and sits up in bed.

"She doesn't want to settle down, huh?" Alex asks, looking at Emma with a small smile on his face.

"Not really," I reply with a half-smile of my own. Alex motions for me to hand her to him and I do, but with a lot of skepticism in my mind. The running trend has been in my favor since the babies were born.

"Shh baby girl," Alex whispers softly as he rocks Emma in his arms. "Daddy's here, daddy's here." About five more minutes of rocking and Emma is fast asleep.

"I don't believe it," I say, making sure to stay quiet as to not wake Emma or her brothers up.

"I guess she still loves me after all," Alex chuckles as he lays Emma down in her bassinet.

"I guess she does," I agree, smiling at my husband. Only Alexander Abernathy could make me smile at two o'clock in the morning when I am completely exhausted. Alex gets back in bed and then pats the space next to him. My smile grows and I crawl into bed beside him, resting my head on his chest.

"I love you," I tell him, snuggling closer into his side.

"I love you, too, babe." He replies, kissing the top of my head. We fall asleep in each other's arms, knowing we'll be reawakened again soon enough.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"How are my girls?" I say as I walk into the kitchen of mine and Harper's house. Harper is at the stove, cooking dinner, and my baby girls, Hailey and Hadley, are sitting in their high chairs, babbling at each other in their secret twin language.

"I love it when they do that," I tell Harper as I kiss her cheek.

"It is quite adorable," She replies, kissing my lips in return. "How was your day?" She asks me.

"Wonderful, although I did miss my beautiful family," I reply, walking over to my twin girls and giving them each a kiss on the top of the head. They both look up at me with little grins. Hailey has a tooth beginning to come in on the bottom so it's easy to tell the twins apart right now. Usually, it's pretty hard to tell them apart if you don't know them as well as Harper and I know them.

Harper puts dinner on the table and I quickly put some plates on the table for us. We're having spaghetti tonight. This is bound to be quite an adventure with Hailey and Hadley now eating most dinner meals with us. I let Harper eat first since she's been home with the babies all day and situate myself so I can give Hailey and Hadley a hand if they need it.

Half an hour later, both my daughters' faces are covered in red spaghetti sauce. They could care less, though. They're both having a great time playing with their food. Some of it is even ending up in their mouths. Once Harper and I are finished with our dinner, I clean up the table and the kitchen while Harper goes into the living room to breastfeed the twins. Even though Hailey and Hadley have both started eating solid foods, they still breastfeed a few times a day.

Once the kitchen and dining rooms are clean, I head into the living room to spend some quality time with my girls. The first day I went back to work really killed me inside. I missed Hailey and Hadley terribly all day. When I finally got home, I didn't want to put them down for a second. I missed Harper, too. It's weird to go from working with your wife every day to not seeing her for most of the day. I guess I've gotten used to it by now, but every now and then I'll have a really taxing day and the only thing I want to do is cuddle with my baby girls.

"Daddy loves you," I tell my girls as them recline on my chest as I lie on the couch. Harper just chuckles as she watches them try to crawl around me. They haven't mastered crawling yet, but I know they're getting closer to it.

"Did you miss us this badly today?" Harper asks me as I pull her to my side as I play with my daughters.

"I always miss you," I tell her, leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"What are you going to do when they start school?" Harper asks me.

"Let's not think about that. It's still at least four years off." I reply, turning my attention back to my daughters. I know that I'll have to give them more and more freedom eventually, but right now they're all mine.

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**Good? Bad? Terrible? I hope this was okay. There will be a lot of fluff coming up I suppose. Question: Do you guys want to see a lot of the baby stuff or should I skip most of it and just give you guys the highlights? Please let me know in a review! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Hey, Everybody! Here's second chapter for you all! Again, just some fluff I suppose. I guess I don't have any big plot points coming up in a while so things will remain fluffy for a bit. But don't worry, the drama will start up again eventually. We'll just enjoy the fluff for a little while :). Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Eight

Finn Mellark's POV

I wake up with a start for the third or fourth time tonight. I don't really know how many times I've been woken by my own nightmares tonight. I stopped counting last week when I woke up over six times in one night. I run my hands over my face and through my hair. I'm covered in a cold sweat. My heart is beating erratically. My breathing is shallow.

"Finn, honey," Summer says, sitting up in bed. She runs her hand over my shirtless chest. I know she's worried about me, but I always tell her I'm fine. I don't need to go to a doctor.

"I'm fine," I tell her. It's an automatic response now. I do it without even thinking about the words. I don't need Summer to worry about me. There's nothing to worry about anyway. I am fine.

"No, Finn, something is wrong. I'm taking you to the doctor's. I don't care if you think it's nothing. If it is, then that's great, but you can't live your life like this. You haven't so much as gone out onto the beach since you've been back. You're afraid of water. You have these nightmares at night and then flashbacks during the day. Finn, I love you and I can't watch you live like this. Please go to the doctor, for me." Summer says, her turquoise eyes are pleading with me. For the first time, I can see how afraid Summer really is about this. She's afraid that something is wrong with me. I just nod as my heart rate and breathing finally start settling down.

Summer and I lay back down. Summer snuggles into my side, her head resting on my chest. I know she doesn't fall asleep. We both lay together, neither of us ever falling back to sleep. I guess I'm too afraid of what I will see if I close my eyes again. I guess Summer is right. I haven't done any of the things I used to do before I was deployed.

A few hours later, I am watching the sun rise from the sparkling ocean water. Summer finally gives up her fake sleeping and sits up in bed, kissing my cheek as she gets up and heads into the bathroom. I remain in bed, lying completely motionless. Summer comes back out and sits down on the bed next to me.

"Alright, c'mon, time to go to the doctor's." She says, smiling down at me. I sigh, but get up any way. Summer and I dress in our room. A few times I sneak a peek at her, marveling at the beauty of my girlfriend. How I ended up with someone like her, I have no idea.

Summer and I walk into the doctor's office hand in hand. I was given health insurance coverage by the Panem Navy so this is basically a free visit to the psychiatrist. I guess a lot of soldiers end up in the psychiatrist's office. It isn't long before Summer and I are called into Dr. Kane's office.

Dr. Kane is a slender, tall man with a pointy nose and wiry glasses that tend to slide down his nose. He's dressed in grey slacks and a beige button down shirt with an orange tie around his neck. He greets us both with handshakes and smiles before instructing us to sit down on the couch in his office. His office is pretty basic. He's got his desk on one side, along with a few book shelves. His degrees are placed on one of the walls in the room.

"Finn, why don't you tell me what brought you here today?" Dr. Kane asks me. I am reluctant to say anything at first, but after a few encouragements from Summer, I tell Dr. Kane everything. I tell him about the horrifying nightmares that plague my sleep. I tell him about the flashbacks that emerge in every day daily life. I tell him how I can't do any of the things I used to love to do. I tell him how everything I used to love now terrifies me entirely.

"Well, Finn, I have a feeling that you are suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, don't worry too much. There are various ways to deal with this disorder. Frequent counseling is one, as is medication. I think we'll start you on a small dose of valium and start up some weekly counseling. We'll adjust your medications and counseling as time goes on. Does that sound alright?" Dr. Kane asks.

"Yeah," I reply, nodding my head. Once we are back at home, Summer kisses me and tells me how proud she is of me.

"You're so strong, Finn. I love you so much." She says, kissing me.

"I love you, too." I reply, kissing her back. I feel Summer smile into our kiss and I lead her to our bedroom. We fall onto the bed, Summer on top of me. Her hands run over my chest as my fingers trail along her hips and waist.

"You're so beautiful," I tell her in between kisses. Summer smiles more into our kiss as she lets me slip my tongue into her mouth. We shift so I am hovering over her, kissing along her neck and collarbone. Soon, all of our clothes are discarded around our bedroom. Summer wraps her arms around my neck and I enter her. We move together, rocking against each other. I move rhythmically inside of Summer until she shudders beneath me. I follow soon after her, shuddering as waves of pleasure rock through my body.

We cuddle afterward; Summer snuggled into my side as I stroke her hair. Her fingers trace patterns along my chest, circling my nipples. My fingers absentmindedly play with strands of Summer's beautiful blonde hair. Thank God I have this woman.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"They are just adorable together!" I gush as I watch my son, Ace, and Liam's daughter, Lucy, "play" together. They're only a few weeks apart in age and they are so fun to watch as they interact with each other.

"It's certainly entertaining," Ash says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we sit on the couch in our living room. Liam is watching the two babies intently, a smile placed on his lips. Liam has been doing a great job with Lucy since he got her. He's a great daddy, that's for sure. There isn't anything in his life that is more important to him than his daughter. Liam will be going back to work next week and we've already made arrangements for me to watch Lucy for him. He tried to pay me for it, but I wouldn't let him. I love watching my baby boy and I figured watching a baby girl along with him would just be twice the fun! Plus, these two love playing together so much already. It's great!

"Can you believe we're all parents?" I ask the guys as I recline with my husband.

"It's crazy," Liam breathes as he leans back onto the couch.

"That's for sure," Ash agrees. "But I kinda love it," He adds.

"I totally love it," Liam replies. I smile at both guys as their conversation comes to an end. In all honesty, my life is much different than I ever thought it would be when I was a teenager. For one, I always thought I would end up marrying Liam when we were in high school and I never really ever thought about having kids. Now, I'm engaged to Ash Hemlock and I have a baby boy.

I love both my fiancé and my son with all my heart. They mean everything to me. I couldn't imagine my life without them. It is crazy how attached you can become to a complete stranger the second they're born. I love Ace with all my heart. He's my son and I'm his mother. Nothing could ever sever our bond.

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**What do you think? What do you think of Finn's situation? Any ideas on what is going to happen there? What about Ace and Lucy? Any thoughts rolling into your head? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I guess we'll have to find out what develops! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Hey Everybody! Sorry I didn't update the last couple of days. I started the Harry Potter series and I just couldn't pull myself away from the first book last night to finish this chapter. I finished it this morning and got the next two, but I did get this chapter written and will probably write more today and tomorrow. Thanks for being patient with me! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty-Nine

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Two Months Later*_

I wake up with butterflies in my stomach and a smile on my face. I instinctively reach for my fiancé, Ash Hemlock, but he isn't here. I knew this already. He isn't here because today, today is our wedding day! After over a year of hard planning, we're finally going to get married. It's been such a long process and I just can't wait to be Mrs. Ash Hemlock.

Ivy, my sister, Harper, my sister-in-law and Summer, my younger brother's girlfriend, will be coming over around eleven o'clock to pick me up so we can go to our salon appointments with my mom, Ash's mom, and my Aunt Effie. We'll be getting our hair and nails done together before taking a limo to the church that Ash and I picked out for our ceremony. After the ceremony, we will all be going to the ballroom that Ash and I reserved for our reception. It's one of the fanciest places in the Capitol as far as places for wedding receptions. I just . . . can't believe it's all finally happening!

I'll be honest; I was actually worried for a little while that our wedding wasn't going to happen. After Ace was born, things got very hectic. Ash and I barely had any time together once he went back to work. Either he was at work or I was trying to catch up on some sleep. We basically just put planning our wedding on the back burner for a while.

Once Ace was a few months old, he started sleeping more and that gave us both more time together. Most of that time was used to plan our wedding and honeymoon. It took us a while. At first, Ash didn't really care. All he wanted was for me to be happy and to be married to me by the end of the day. It took me a few weeks to get him to help me actually plan our wedding. Once I got him into it, he didn't mind throwing in his opinions anymore.

Now, we are about to experience our dream wedding. I'm so excited about it! But, it's more than just the wedding. I'm excited to finally be Mrs. Lilac Hemlock. Ash, Ace, and I will finally be a proper family. I really can't wait until we're an official family. I know Ash and I have talked about maybe having more kids soon. I know Ash really wants to have a girl so he can have a father-daughter relationship with her.

I get Ace ready as I wait for Ivy, Summer, and Harper to pick me up. Mom, Effie, and Johanna all volunteered to watch the babies for us while we're getting our hair and nails done. Then, when we're done, we'll switch. At eleven on the dot, Ivy, Summer, and Harper appear at my front door. We chat for a few minutes, but then head down to the salon, knowing we have to meet our parents for the appointment.

"I can't believe my baby sister is finally getting married!" Ivy exclaims as we walk down a Capitol street to get to the salon.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I reply, rolling my eyes. I try to hide the ghost of a smile that has crept onto my face. I can't believe it either. In less than five hours, I will no longer be a Mellark; I'll be a Hemlock.

We arrive at the salon and, the minute we do, my mom, Johanna (Ash's mom), and Effie all swarm me. They hug me and mom looks like she's about to start crying already. I get hugs and congratulations and they all start talking about when Ash and I were little. After a few minutes, Ivy and I finally get them all to calm down before handing over the six kids. Then, we all start getting our hair and nails done.

Wow, I've really forgotten what it feels like to let myself be pampered. Ever since Ace was born, there hasn't been a lot of time for me to get away. Honestly, I haven't felt the need to get away. I love to be with my baby boy and I love hanging out with my fiancé at home. But, it does feel great to be pampered and just do something for myself.

Two hours later, Ivy, Harper, Summer, and I are all in the back of the little church on the outskirts of the Capitol. Ivy and Harper had just helped me into my wedding dress, a strapless, ivory gown the flowed down to the floor. My hair was curled and then styled into an up-do. My nails had received a French manicure in the salon.

"You look gorgeous," Ivy tells me, smiling with a glint of tears in her eyes.

"Thanks," I reply. Ivy and I embrace in a hug. I wouldn't want to have anyone else as my maid of honor. Ivy and I are sisters and best friends. She's always had my back. She's my sister; I love her.

Mom and dad pop their heads into the room, presumably to tell us it's almost time for the ceremony to start, but they both get sidetracked when they see me in my wedding gown.

"Oh, sweetie, you look beautiful!" Mom says as she gives me a careful hug.

"Thanks," I reply as our hug ends. Dad is just looking at me, a small smile on his face and tears in his eyes. I know he's having mixed feelings about this day. He loves Ash and I know he'll love having him as a son-in-law, but I know he isn't quite ready to give up his youngest daughter. He was a total wreck at Ivy's wedding and I know he'll be worse during the ceremony today.

"Are you ready?" I ask my dad, a small smile on my face.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Dad replies, his smile growing a bit bigger. I take dad's offered hand and then we move out to the door leading to the altar. Harper will walk down the aisle first, then Summer, and then Ivy. Ash chose Phoenix, Liam, and Finn as his groomsmen. I think that Alex got stuck watching all the babies . . .

The music starts and Harper starts heading down the aisle. My stomach suddenly fills with butterflies. I know this is what I want and that it's right but I can't help but feel a bit anxious. After this ceremony, mine and Ash's relationship will be different forever. We aren't just boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. We aren't even just each other's fiancé. We'll be husband and wife. My heart leaps at the thought of me being Ash's wife. I've wanted it for so long and it's finally happening.

Ivy reaches about half way down the aisle, and then it is my turn. I take a deep breath and then dad and I start walking down the aisle. As we appear, everyone in the pews stands up. We didn't invite too many people. We really only wanted a small wedding. We did invite all of our family, Harper's immediate family, a few friends from college and our studio and a few new friends we met after I had Ace. Everyone is smiling and marveling at my dress, but my eyes are trained on Ash.

Ash is in a black tux, his wavy blonde hair styled with some gel. He looks very nice indeed. My heart skips a beat as our eyes lock. He's smiling, his green eyes shining with a mix of happiness and unshed tears. I can only imagine that his heart is beating as hard as mine is inside his chest. The walk down the aisle is short and, in no time, I am beside Ash Hemlock, my soon to be husband.

"Do you, Lilac Mellark, take Ash Hemlock to be your lawfully wedded husband; in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?" The clergy asks me. I swallow and then smile before responding.

"I do."

"Do you, Ash Hemlock, take Lilac Mellark to be your lawfully wedded wife; in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?" The clergy asks Ash, who's eyes are transfixed on mine.

"I do." Ash says with no hesitation in his voice at all.

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you man and wife." The clergy says. "You may kiss the bride," He tells Ash. Ash smiles before taking my face in his hands and kissing my lips tenderly.

"I love you, Mrs. Hemlock," He whispers into my ear after our kiss.

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**They're finally married! Yay! Next up is the reception and the honeymoon! Plus Ace will be staying with Phoenix and Harper and their twin girls! It should be interesting! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! More to come soon!  
**


	50. Chapter 50

**Hey Everybody! Sorry this chapter took so long. I didn't mean for it to. I was tired so I took a nap and then I had to make dinner before going to church tonight. I've also been thinking about writing an original series, so that's been on my mind, plus just school crap. Anyhow, read on!**

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Chapter Fifty

Lilac Hemlock's POV

"Ash, stop it!" I giggle as my husband nips at the skin of my neck. We're in the back of the limo that is transporting us from the church to the ballroom where our wedding reception will be held.

"I can't help myself," He replies. "I just love you so much, Mrs. Hemlock." I smile when he calls me Mrs. Hemlock.

"I love you, too, Mr. Hemlock." I reply, kissing his lips tenderly. Being married to Ash feels both the same and different. I guess it's going to take more than ten minutes for me to feel that much different. But, I can already kind of feel how things are going to be different. I can't explain it; I just feel it.

Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the ballroom. Honestly, the people we hired to decorate did an outstanding job. The ballroom is absolutely stunning! I never imagined it would look so beautiful. Everyone, of course, starts clapping the minute we walk into the ballroom. I can easily hear Finn over the rest of the crowd. I guess my little brother will never change.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's clear off the dance floor and let the newly married couple have their first dance." The DJ says over the microphone. The song Ash and I decided on for our first dance together as husband and wife starts playing and Ash takes my hand, leading me onto the dance floor.

We move onto the dance floor together in perfect harmony. We know each other so well that all our moves are practically perfection. Ash never even once steps on my feet. During the entire song, Ash can't take his eyes off of me. There is so much love and devotion in his eyes that it makes my heart melt. Ash Hemlock is definitely the right one for me.

Ash twirls me around the dance floor and, as he does so, I forget that everyone is watching us. No one else in the world matters right now. It's just me and Ash, together. He pulls me close and I can feel his heart beating in his chest. It's wild, erratic.

"I love you," He whispers against my ear, kissing my neck lightly. The song fades out and Ash and I end our dance with a tender kiss.

The next couple of hours go by in a haze. Despite trying to keep our wedding small, we did kind of end up inviting a lot of people. And a lot of people means a lot of mingling. I don't mind it too much though. I love socializing. I dance with my dad and both of my brothers and I even take Ace onto the dance floor for a little spin. He, of course, loved it completely.

After enjoying a dinner of the best steak in the entire Capitol, it's time for the good part: the throwing of the bouquet. There are only about six single women at the wedding and I know exactly who I want to catch it. I turn my back to the group of women and throw the bouquet, mentally crossing my fingers. I turn around and smile broadly. Summer caught it, just like I wanted her to.

Of course, Summer's face has gone red with embarrassment as she's dating my little brother, Finn. Finn is, of course, wearing a smug smile and giving Summer a thumbs up. Everyone in the room is clapping because we all know that these two are the next to tie the knot. Really, I'm surprised Finn didn't get down on one knee and propose to Summer the second he got back to Panem.

For the rest of the night, Finn and Summer stay close to each other's sides. Anyone can tell that they love each other very much. I am anticipating another Mellark wedding sometime in the near future.

Around midnight the reception begins to fade away. Ivy and Alex had to go home because the triplets were starting to get a bit cranky. I gave my sister and her husband hugs before kissing my two nephews and my niece's heads. Harper and Phoenix headed out, too, taking with them Ace to watch over while Ash and I went away for a few days on our honeymoon. I must have kissed that baby boy at least two dozen times before I let Phoenix leave with him. I've never been away from Ace for more than a few hours at a time. I'm anticipating some separation anxiety.

"I don't know about you, but I am exhausted." Ash says as we board the train that is going to take us to the beach house we rented for our few days alone together.

"Definitely," I reply as I snuggle into Ash's side as the train begins moving. I close my eyes, the sounds of the trains lulling me into a deep sleep. My eyes don't open again until I feel the train stop and then hear Ash coaxing me awake.

We collect our bags and then take a cab out to the beach house. The drive is short and, in no time, Ash and I are inside the house that will be the setting for our honeymoon. It shall be an interesting couple of days indeed.

Ash and make ourselves at home and then finally fall into bed around four in the morning. It has been a _long _day, that's for sure. I close my eyes as I let my body rest for the first time all day. It feels good to be doing absolutely nothing. With my eyes closed, I feel Ash's lips at my neck, kissing my skin gently.

"I've wanted to get you alone all night," He tells me, his voice nothing more than a husky whisper. I smile, not yet opening my eyes. Ash's kisses move down my neck and to my collarbone, where he sucks and nibbles affectionately. My eyes flutter open and I run my fingers through Ash's silky smooth blonde hair as he kisses my body. Without saying a word, we strip one another from our closing until we are left in only our barest forms in front of each other. It's not like this is anything new, but this will be our first time as husband and wife.

Our lips meet in a gentle and tender kiss, during which Ash enters me. Pleasure washes through my body. It's so intense that I lose any former intelligent thoughts. Together, our pleasure builds as we move together as one flesh. We reach our peaks and collapse together, completely exhausted. I drift off to sleep in my husband's arms.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"I think he misses his mommy," Harper says as she bounces Ace, my sister's son, in her arms. He's been crying for the last hour. Thankfully, his cries haven't woken up Hailey or Hadley . . . yet. I was surprised when he started crying. He had been doing so well, especially since it was his first night away from Lilac since . . . well, since he was conceived.

"Here, I'll take him for a little bit. You deserve a break." I tell Harper, opening my arms to take Ace from her. She carefully hands him over to me and I bring him to my shoulder, bouncing him lightly as he continues to cry.

"Don't worry, buddy. Mommy will be home in a few days, I promise." I tell Ace. I walk around with Ace in my arms and decided to see if I can get him to eat. I heat up the bottle of formula and then join Harper on the couch to feed baby Ace. I put the bottle to his lips and Ace starts suckling. He downs the bottle and I burp him before returning him to his preferred position as he begins to contently fall asleep.

"One day down, three more to go," Harper tells me, a smile playing on her face. It will, for sure, be an interesting three days.

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**I hope you liked it. I guess it wasn't that interesting, huh? I guess I'm just a little tired right now so I don't have much to say. I'll try to make more upcoming chapters a bit more exciting than this one was. I have a few things in mind so don't worry. Thanks for reading and please review! **


	51. Chapter 51

**Hey Everybody! Here's a chapter for you all, since you're the best readers ever! ;) I don't have much to say, so I'm just going to let you read. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-One

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*One Month Later*_

"Everything is going to be fine," My husband, Alexander Abernathy tells me for the hundredth time this morning. Today is my first day back to work since having my babies. They're three and half months old now and, although they are small for their age, they are more than old enough to be starting daycare. Alex and I agreed we wanted them to go to the daycare center provided in the hospital. That way we would be close enough if anything happened or went wrong. And yet, even this doesn't ease my anxiety.

"Just relax," Alex says, craning his neck to kiss the spot right under my ear.

"You're right." I reply. "Everything will be fine." I say, putting a smile onto my face. Alex and I eat breakfast together before getting Michael, Emma, and Silas into their carriers so we can transport them to the hospital's daycare center.

Ten minutes later, I am kissing each of my babies' heads over and over again, attempting to stall my departure. Alex just smiles as he watches me. He knows this is hard for me since I haven't been away from them for more than a few hours at a time since they were born. Alex has been back to work now for a month so he's used to saying goodbye to the babies. I'm not.

Once I pull myself away from my babies, Alex kisses them once each before gently leading me out of the daycare room. Outside the room, Alex pulls me in for a close hug and kisses the top of my head.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You'll be fine. They'll be fine. You can come up and see them during your lunch break. Plus, you're only working an eight hour shift. You can do this." Alex tells me, hugging me close to his body.

"I know. I know. I'll be fine." I tell him, pulling from his embrace. We kiss each other before I head down to the ER and Alex heads for his research lab, which is a few minutes away from the hospital on the other end of the University.

Down in the ER, everyone was quite happy to see me back at work. I guess they all missed the emergency room pediatrician. I must say that, once I got back into the swing of things, I felt less anxious about being away from my babies. Plus, I know they're in safe hands and are only a few stories above me.

Everyone, of course, wanted to see pictures and hear stories about the triplets. I was more than happy to tell them everything. Talking about my babies just made me happy inside. Cassie, one of my favorite nurses to work with, told me she would be happy to watch my little darlings any time.

The one thing I didn't really anticipate was how I would view each and every case I worked through the eyes of a mother. I now understood why parents were so distraught when their children came into the ER, even if it was only the tiniest thing that brought them here in the first place.

My morning went by easier and quicker than I had expected. Most of my cases were only minor ones and it seemed that it was going to be a slow day in the ER today. Not that I'm complaining or anything. A slow day means that people are safe today and that is always a good thing. It also left extra time for me to show everyone in the ER pictures of my babies.

For my lunch break, I grabbed a sandwich from the cafeteria and then headed up to the daycare center so I could see my babies. All three of them smiled instantly when I came into view. While I ate I made sure to give my babies kisses and hugs and tell them how much I loved them. I guess I had missed them a bit more than I thought I did while I was working.

"Mommy will be back in a few hours," I tell my babies as I kiss them each one more time before pulling myself from the daycare room and heading back downstairs to finish my shift.

My afternoon was busier than my morning. I had a few traumas that I had to work and let me tell you how hard it is to work on a child that's been severely hurt once you've become a mother. It must be the hardest thing I've ever done! The whole time and for a while afterwards all I could think about was one of my babies being in that situation. It made my heart ache just to think about it.

The last two hours of my shift were, once again, quite slow so I decide to work on my charts in my office. I would hate to get behind with my paper work. I know I won't have any time to do any of it home. I'll be too busy gushing over my beautiful babies.

Ugh, paper work is definitely the most boring and worst part of my job. I love being a doctor, but all the paper work involved is really quite brutal. But, unfortunately, without it, the entire system would just fall apart. But that doesn't mean I have to enjoy doing it.

"Dr. Abernathy, we've got a trauma coming in." Cassie pops her head into my office to inform me.

"How many kids are there?" I ask her, standing up from my desk at once.

"No kids, but we're short a resident and need an extra hand," Cassie tells me. I nod and follow her to the trauma rooms. It's not unusual for me to be called in to help out on a trauma where no kids are involved. Every now and then we'll be short staffed, so I'm always willing to help out.

"SUV versus motorcycle," One of the paramedics says as he wheels a woman into the ER. Cassie and I, along with an intern, take her into the first trauma room. She's conscious – barely – and groaning something about her husband, whom I assume is the man in the trauma room next to us. Her neck is still in a C-collar, keeping it stable in case of any breaks or fractures. Radiology comes down and we take a portable x-ray and determine that there are no breaks.

A few more x-rays tell us that the patient has two broken ribs and a fractured wrist. I give her some morphine to help with her pain and then, when I am sure she's stable enough, I send her to the CT machine to get an image of her brain to make sure there are no injuries. Just to be safe, I send the intern with her.

"How are you guys doing in here?" I ask as I walk into the second trauma room where my patient's husband is being treated.

"Nope, we're good. But I think Dr. Anderson could use your help in there." Dr. Gregory says, gesturing to the trauma room next to his with his head. "The guy on the motorcycle is in there. From what I can see, it looks kind of bad. At least the guy was wearing his helmet." I nod and head into the trauma room.

Dr. Anderson is in the middle of intubating the patient while a second year resident is putting a chest tube into his left lung.

"Need any help?" I ask.

"I will in a minute," Dr. Anderson replies, still concentration on getting the breathing tube in the patient's lungs. He finishes and then moves to look at an x-ray, revealing the patient's face. My heart stops. Lying on the gurney, intubated, unconscious, and bloody, is Alex.

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**Yes, I am evil. I figured it'd been a while since I wrote a cliffhanger chapter that pissed anyone off. I was hoping you guys wouldn't be expecting this. Well, I gave you a few hints as the end of the chapter got closer and closer . . . Anyhow! Thanks for reading and please review! You know you want to tell me how evil I am! :)  
**


	52. Chapter 52

**Hey, Everybody! How'd you like that cliffhanger? ;) Well, here's your next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Read on!**

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Chapter Fifty-Two

Ivy Abernathy's POV

My heart drops into my stomach. My feet freeze to the floor. Alex . . . Alex was . . . in a . . . car accident . . . Cassie comes into the trauma room and, upon seeing Alex's face, claps her hand over her mouth. She springs over to me and leads me gently out of the trauma room.

"Alex . . ." I whisper, tears welling up in my eyes.

"He's going to be fine," Cassie tells me, rubbing my back.

"But what if he isn't? What if . . . what if . . ." I stammer.

"Don't think like that. He'll be fine. I promise." Cassie tells me.

"What . . . what are his injuries?" I ask her. If I know what injuries Alex has I'll be able to rationalize that he will be okay . . . or . . .

"I'll go get his chart, alright?" Cassie asks and I nod in response. Cassie returns a few minutes later, Alex's chart in hand.

"Okay, so Alex has a collapsed lung. That's why they had to intubate him and put in a chest tube." Cassie tells me. I nod silently. "He's also got a few broken ribs and one of them punctured his other lung. So, he's going to have to stay intubated for a while so they can fix the puncture. They did an ultrasound on his abdomen because there was some bruising and found a tear in his spleen, which they are going to repair in surgery. Ivy, I need you to sign this consent form so that Alex can go up to surgery." Cassie tells me. I nod and sign for the surgery quickly. Cassie smiles at me before heading back to the trauma room to give Dr. Anderson the chart back.

What if . . . what if something goes wrong in surgery? What if they can't fix Alex's lung or stop his spleen from bleeding? I don't want to think about these things, but I can't stop them from plaguing my brain. I just . . . I can't lose him . . . not now . . . not after everything we've been through . . . I just can't.

Cassie leads me up to the surgery waiting room where she sits with me while Alex is in surgery. Around six o'clock, two hours after my shift was supposed to end, I tell Cassie I need to make a phone call and then take a walk down the hall to call my brother, Phoenix.

"Hey, sis, what's up?" Phoenix asks me, sounding cheerful as ever.

"Umm, Phoenix, I need you to do something for me." I tell him, wiping tears off my cheeks as they fall from my eyes.

"Of course," He replies. "Ivy, what's wrong?" He asks me, sounding worried.

"Alex was in an accident. He's in surgery. I just . . . I need you to come and take Michael, Emma, and Silas to your place. I don't know how long I'll be here. I don't know how long Alex is going to have to stay in the hospital. I just . . . I don't want them to stay here that long. They'll be more comfortable at your place." I tell Phoenix.

"Of course, I'll be right there to get them." Phoenix replies.

"Thanks," I say.

"Anytime, sis," Phoenix replies before we hand up.

Ten minutes later, I meet Phoenix outside of the daycare room. He's in sweatpants and coat thrown over his shoulders. It's obvious that he left the second after we hung up. Of course, the first thing he does is pull me into a tight hug.

"He'll be okay," He says, rubbing my back.

"I know. I know." I reply. "Do you want to swap keys so you can take my car?" I ask him.

"Yeah, sure," Phoenix says. We swap keys and then I help Phoenix take the triplets down to my car and get them buckled in. I kiss them each at least a dozen kisses.

"Daddy is going to be fine," I tell them, more tears welling up in my eyes. Phoenix hugs me once more before he gets into my SUV and drives away.

I walk back up to the surgery floor in silence, nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. I take the stairs, wanting a few more minutes to myself to think. Alex should be fine. He might need to stay in the hospital for a little while, but that should be the worst of it. The surgeons here are the best in the entire country. Plus, Alex's injuries really aren't that bad.

Back in the surgery waiting room, Cassie waits with me in silence. There isn't much to say and all I can do is think about my husband and every single moment we've ever spent together. I remember when I met him for the first time. He had been so shy back then. I think I might have scared him a little. I was a very outgoing young child.

Then, in high school, he, apparently, had a huge crush on me. Of this, I was not aware until someone else pointed it out to me. Back then, I had been dating Blake Smith who ended up being the son of the man who was trying to take over Panem. We managed to save the country and that's when I realized I loved Alex as much as he loved me.

In college, we hit a rocky patch when I was kidnapped and tortured by a jealous fellow student who had felt that life had dealt him a particularly unfair hand. He had chained me to a chair and shocked me with electricity as a form of torture. The police found me and then, for the next few months, I went through intense therapy to help me get over the fear of men that had developed from my kidnapping and torture.

It was about five or so months before I was able to return to a normal relationship with Alex. Those months had been some of the hardest of my life. I didn't know what I was going to do if I wasn't able to be with Alex. He's the love of my life.

Once I had graduated from medical school and Alex from graduate school, we got married and started our lives together as a family. We decided we wanted kids and that's when all this drama started. It took us a while, but we did get our happy little family.

"Dr. Abernathy, Alex is out of surgery." Dr. Garth, trauma surgery attending physician, tells me as he walk out of the OR that Alex was taken care of in. "He's doing well. Everything went well. He's being transported to recovery and will probably be unconscious for a little while yet, but he's out of the woods."

"Thank you," I tell him, shaking his hand. More tears are threatening to spill from my eyes.

"You're welcome, Dr. Abernathy. You can go sit with him if you would like. I'm sure he'd be very happy to wake up to you beside him." Dr. Garth tells me with a smile. I nod and hurry off to Alex's recovery room.

In the small recovery room, Alex is laying a bed. He's still unconscious and intubated. It's weird to see Alex's feature illuminated by the fluorescent hospital lights. It gives his features a sort of eerie look.

"Oh, I love you so much." I tell Alex as I take seat in the chair beside his hospital bed. I lay my head beside his chest and intertwine our fingers, praying that he'll wake up soon.

* * *

**Well, you really shouldn't have been too worried. Alexander Abernathy is my favorite character of all time. I would never have the heart to kill him off, especially not after he's got three babies to raise! What would those three do without their daddy? Anyhow! Thank you for reading and reviews would be appreciated!**


	53. Chapter 53

**Hey, Everybody! I am so sorry I didn't update at all this past week. It's just been crazy and I feel so horrible. I'm going to try to be better, but I'm not sure this week is going to be much better than last week. I won't be home until ten tomorrow night, I have three papers to write for next week, not to mention 7 hours of class. I'm sorry and I'm going to try my hardest! I promise. Now, read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-Three

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Sweetheart," A voice reaches deep into my fog of sleep, trying to pull me out. "Ivy, sweetheart," The keeper of the voice gently runs their fingers through my hair.

"Hmmm," I reply, not quite ready to wake up yet. My neck aches, though, as if I've been sleeping a bad position all night. My eyes flutter open and I squint against the sunlight streaming in through the window opposite my position.

I let my eyes adjust to the light before taking in my surroundings. White sheets on the bed my head is lying on at an odd angle. Walls painted a simple white. There is a steady beeping noise coming from behind me. I look down at my hand, which is intertwined with another hand; a hand that has an IV attached to it.

"Are you awake?" The voice that woke me up asks. I turn my head and see Alex's smiling face. He's awake! I practically jump up from my previous position and kiss Alex's lips.

"Well, that's one way to say 'good morning' I guess." Alex says, still smiling.

"You're awake," I say, smiling and holding back tears at the same time.

"Yeah," Alex replies.

"When did they extubate you?" I ask him, noticing that Alex doesn't have his breathing tube in anymore.

"They came in last night. You were still asleep. I didn't want to wake you up and I just went back to bed." Alex tells me. "Hey, don't be upset. I'm alright." Alex says, no doubt noticing the tears behind my eyes.

"I know," I choke out, trying hard to keep from crying. He's the one that was in a car accident that could have killed him. I shouldn't be the one crying.

"Come here," Alex says and I scoot as close as I can to him. "Just get in bed with me," Alex tells me playfully. I laugh and then crawl into the hospital bed next to him.

"How do you feel?" I ask him, my fingers playing with his hair.

"Okay, I guess. It hurts a little when I breathe." He tells me.

"You had a punctured lung and a collapse lung." I tell him. "You had a torn spleen, too." I add, snuggling closer to Alex.

"I take it the surgery went well?" Alex asks me.

"It did. Dr. Garth was your surgeon." I tell him. Alex knows that Dr. Garth is the trauma surgery attending so he'll know he was in the best hands.

"What did you do with the babies?" Alex asks, his arm snaking around my body to hold me close to him.

"I called Phoenix and he took them to his house. I let him take my SUV, so we'll have to take his car when you get out of here." I inform Alex.

"You aren't going to stay here until I leave, are you?" Alex asks.

"I was planning on it," I tell him.

"No, you need to go home." Alex says.

"Can we just wait and see what the doctor tells us? Maybe you can go home as early as tomorrow." I plead. I really don't want to leave Alex.

"Fine, but if it's any longer than that, you're going home. You need rest, too, Ivy." Alex says.

"I was just fine here last night." I lie. Alex doesn't look too impressed, but he doesn't have a chance to reply because Dr. Garth comes into the room.

"Well, Mr. Abernathy, as far as we can tell, you're doing just great. You should be good to go by the day after tomorrow." Dr. Garth tells us and I look over at Alex triumphantly. According to our deal, I get to stay right here with him. Dr. Garth talks with us for a few more moments before excusing himself.

A nurse brings Alex something to eat and she also brings me something up from the cafeteria, which I am grateful for. Alex and I play a few card games before Alex makes me leave for a few hours, insisting that I should go shower, take a nap, and visit our children.

During the drive home, the sensation of exhaustion finally hits me. I hadn't realized how tired I was until now. Once I am home, I take a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the anxiety that is still hanging around in the pit of my stomach. After my shower, I blow dry my hair and just put it up in a ponytail.

I sit down on the bed, but soon come to realize that there's no way I'll be able to sleep; especially with Alex in the hospital and my babies with their Uncle Phoenix. So, I decide that I'll go over to Phoenix and Harper's to check on my babies. I know Alex will be upset if I'm back in the hospital too soon. He's just trying to make sure I take care of myself.

"How is he?" Phoenix asks me as soon as I'm in his house.

"He's fine. He'll be going home tomorrow morning." I tell my brother. "How was your night with the rascals?" I ask him.

"It was great," Phoenix replies with a broad smile.

"They didn't give you too much trouble, did they?" I ask as we walk into the living room.

"Nah, they were angels." Phoenix says. "It was nice to have little babies around again. I still can't believe that Hailey and Hadley are going to be a year old next week."

"Time sure is starting to fly," I agree. In the living room, Hailey and Hadley are sitting on the floor, playing together, and Harper is sitting on the couch with all three of my babies.

"Hey," She says as I come to sit next to her.

"Hey, thank you so much for watching them." I say, carefully taking Michael and Silas from Harper.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Phoenix and I had a great time with these three. They're such great babies," Harper replies. Harper, Phoenix, and I sit and talk for a few hours, watching Hailey and Hadley play while Michael, Silas, and Emma take their afternoon nap.

"I should really go. Alex is getting discharged tomorrow." I tell my brother and sister-in-law.

"Do you want us to bring Michael, Emma, and Silas home in the afternoon then?" Phoenix asks me.

"That'd be great," I reply. I kiss each of my babies and then give Phoenix a hug before I head back to the hospital.

Of course, once I'm back at the hospital, Alex tells me that I should have stayed longer. I just roll my eyes at him as we eat our dinner of hospital food together in his room. Around nine, I crawl into the hospital bed with him and we fall asleep together. By nine o'clock the next morning, Alex and I are on our way back to our house.

"I'm sorry," Alex, who has been quite quiet since we woke up this morning, says as we pull into our driveway.

"What are you sorry about?" I ask him, turning the car off and turning in my seat to face him.

"I know you wanted me to get rid of my motorcycle when the babies were born. I should have listened to you." Alex says.

"Hey, don't worry about that, Alex. You're okay, that's the only thing that matters to me." I tell him. We go into our house and I make him sit on the couch while I make us some real food. We eat together in our living room and spend some time in each other's arms.

Around noon, Phoenix and Harper arrive with Michael, Emma, and Silas, along with their twin girls. We have a family lunch and Alex sits with his babies for a long time. I know he was afraid that he wouldn't be there for his kids while they grew up.

Phoenix and Harper head home with their girls around four o'clock, leaving Alex and me alone with our triplets, who are exhausted from their family filled two days. Alex and I put them down for a nap and then head into our own bedroom to catch up on some sleep. All is, once again, well.

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**I know this chapter kind of sucks. I feel like I'm losing my passion for this story, which makes me sad. I have so much still planned for it so I can't just stop. Don't worry, this will continue until the very end. It just might take a while to get there. I hope this chapter was okay. I'll try to get another one up today sometime. Thank you so much for sticking with me! Please review!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter for you all today. Sorry if there are any mistakes. I burnt the tip of my finger so typing is kind of hard/painful right now. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-Four

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Good morning, baby girls!" I say to my twin daughters as I come into their bedroom early in the morning on the first anniversary of their birth. "Are you excited for your party?" I ask my daughters as I scoop them up from the crib they are still sharing. I only get two sleepy eyed yawns in response. I chuckle as I place them both onto the changing table and change their diapers before picking them back up and heading into the living room.

Harper has already started cleaning the house. The usually toy littered living room floor is practically spotless. I don't know why she's bothering to clean so early. The twins are just going to make another mess before the party starts. I don't say this to Harper of course. I'd like to live to see my daughters' first birthday party.

The party starts at one o'clock this afternoon and mine and Harper's parents are all coming for the event. Add in all my siblings and it's guaranteed that our house will be quite full this afternoon. I'm excited though, probably more excited that Hailey and Hadley are, about their party.

Once Harper has finished her cleaning rampage, she takes over watching the girls while I head into the kitchen to prepare their birthday cake. I've been incredibly excited to make my daughters' birthday cake for weeks now. I know exactly how I am going to design it!

I mix up the cake batter, from scratch of course, and then pour it into the pan. Once the oven is preheated, I put the pan into the oven and set the timer. Baking like this sure does bring back memories from my childhood when I would help my dad in his bakery in District 12. I miss getting to spend that time with him; just the two of us.

The timer goes off, pulling me from my reminiscent thoughts. I take the cake out of the oven and wait for it to cool before beginning to decorate it. I decide to use food coloring to turn the white, buttercream frosting into a light shade of purple. Both my daughters love the color purple. Next I spread the frosting over the yellow-chocolate marble cake and then use the remaining white frosting to create flowers around the cake as a border.

"They're going to love it," My wife tells me as she wraps her arms around my middle.

"You think so?" I ask, wrapping my arm around Harper's waist and kissing the top of her head.

"I'm positive," She replies. "I put them down for their morning nap so we can decorate in peace." Harper tells me.

"That was a smart idea," I say. Without any further delay, Harper and I hop to the decorating. We put up purple and white streamers and balloons all over the living room and dining room. We work together to hang up a sign that reads "Happy Birthday" on it over the TV in the living room.

At noon, Harper wakes the girls up and we all eat lunch together. Well, Harper and I eat and the twins just kind of make a mess of themselves and their highchairs. While Harper gives the girls a quick bath, I clean up their highchairs and the rest of the kitchen. At quarter to one, our doorbell rings.

"That must be the grandparents," I say to Hailey and Hadley who are sitting with their mother on the couch, each wearing matching purple overalls over little white shirts. I answer the door and, sure enough, I am met with mom, dad, Linda, and Hugh. I lead them into the living room and hugs go around like crazy. I sit next to Harper while we watch the grandparents interact with their two granddaughters.

By one o'clock, our house it full of family members. With eight babies and twelve adults, the noise level is pretty up there. Since all the babies are really young, they don't do much along the lines of playing, but they do sit together and get along pretty well. It's really nice to see all the cousins getting along with each other.

We have cake and Harper makes sure I get about a million pictures of Hailey and Hadley enjoying their first birthday cake ever. After cake, we do presents. The girls get lots of clothes from Lilac and Linda and Hugh. Mom, dad, Finn, and Summer get them toys. And, Ivy and Alex, of course, get the girls all sorts of educational toys.

By six o'clock, everyone has left and Harper and I have finally finished cleaning up. We feed Hailey and Hadley dinner before putting them down for a good night's sleep. Needless to say, today was a very happy first birthday for my daughters.

Lilac Hemlock's POV

_*Three Months Later*_

"Good morning, birthday boy! Did you sleep well?" I ask my baby boy, Ace as I pick him up from his crib. He just smiles back and babbles a few things at me. I smile as I take him over to the changing table and change his diaper.

Today is my baby boy's first birthday and I am so excited to celebrate it with his whole family. Both mine and Ash's parents are coming to the Capitol from District 12 and my brother Finn and his longtime girlfriend, Summer, are coming from District 4. I think I'm more excited than Ace is, but I'm sure he'll get excited once everyone gets here.

"Good morning," Ash says, kissing my lips and then kissing the top of Ace's head, as I walk into the kitchen. Since I'm not a very good cook or baker, my brother Phoenix volunteered to do Ace's cake, which I am really excited for because Phoenix's cake always turn out absolutely amazing!

The last few months since Ash and I got married have been great. We're an official family and that couldn't make me happier!

Ash and decide that we should start getting ready right away. We split up to clean different parts of the house and then regroup when we start the decorating. Ace, who is now in the middle of taking his morning nap, is sure to love his party. Just like his parents, Ace loves music. He loves being sung to at night and he loves listening to music during car rides. Really, I didn't expect anything different from the son of Lilac Mellark and Ash Hemlock.

Phoenix comes over a few hours before everyone else so he can make the cake. I try to help him but, ten minutes later, I am sent out of the kitchen for almost setting my brother on fire. Once Phoenix has finished the cake, I am allowed back into my own kitchen. Just as I suspected, Phoenix did a marvelous job with the cake. It's yellow cake with lime green frosting and musical notes all around it.

"It's great!" I exclaim as I give my big brother a tight hug.

About twenty minutes after the cake is finished, everyone arrives. Mom and dad, along with Ash's parents, immediately want to spend some time with their grandson. This frees both Ash and I to catch up with the rest of the family.

Over the next few hours, we eat all eat pizza that Ash ordered and then have cake. Watching my baby eat his first ever piece of birthday cake gets me a little choked up. I can't believe how fast the first year went by. Before I know it, he'll be going off to preschool and soon after that he'll be going to high school and then college. I wish I could just slow time down so I could keep Ace as my baby boy longer.

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**Okay, yeah, I'm sorry this kind of totally sucked. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel like all the passion I had for this story was just drained from my body. I have no idea why. I'm hoping it comes back so I can finish this story and do it well, but I don't what's going to happen. Either way, I'll most likely still finish it, it just might take me an outrageous amount of time. Well, thanks for reading and reviews would be great.  
**


	55. Chapter 55

**Hey, Ev****erybody! I am so sorry I haven't update in forever. No, I haven't been affected by Superstorm Sandy, but I have been affected by Superstorm homework. Teachers have really been piling it on lately. So, between semester projects, studying for tests, doing homework, being in school 7 hours a day, and keeping my head above water in physics, I've been pretty swapped. Plus, my Capitol Chapter for my collab story is due tomorrow and I spend all last night and this afternoon working on that so I can have it in pristine condition. Oh and you should all read that by the way. Link: s/8639286/1/24-Tributes-24-Wars. So, without further ado, your next chapter. Read on! **

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Chapter Fifty-Five

Liam Hawthorne's POV

"Are you excited for today, baby girl?" I ask my daughter as I rouse her from her morning nap. Today is my baby girl's very first birthday. I can't believe she's already a year old. It's hard for me to believe it because I haven't been with her for nearly that amount of time. I just. . . I can believe my daughter is already one year old. She gurgles happily in response to my question and I just chuckle as I take her into the living room. We have lunch together and then Lucy watches while I decorate our apartment for her birthday party.

I only invited my dad, Lilac, Ash, and Ace, Phoenix, Harper, and Hailey and Hadley, and Ivy and Alex and the triplets. I thought it would be nice to have all the babies in the same place so they could maybe play together.

Around noon, everyone is here and all the adults are watching the babies play together. Michael, Emma, and Silas keep mostly to each other, but Hailey, Hadley, Ace, and Lucy all seem to be enjoying each other's company. Ace and Lucy playing together isn't too much of a surprise since the two are practically best friends already. Ever since they first met, they've been best friends.

Cake time rolls around and everyone gets a good laugh out of four of the babies trying to eat cake. It ends up mostly smeared over their faces and Lilac makes sure to get a few hundred pictures. Once cake time is over, we spend the next twenty minutes cleaning off the babies' hands and faces.

"Present time!" Lilac exclaims once all the babies are clean. I roll my eyes as I hoist Lucy out of her high chair and carry her into the living room. I help Lucy open her presents while Lilac takes even more pictures.

Lucy ends up with four new outfits from Lilac, some books that I can read to her from my dad, new toys and stuffed animals from Phoenix and Harper, and a few educational toys and games from Ivy and Alex.

The babies decide to play with one of Lucy's new toys together, which just so happens to be one of the educational ones from Ivy and Alex. I can't help but feel my heart swell in my chest while I watch my baby girl play with what I hope will someday be her best friends. I can only hope that this group of babies will grow up together like I did with Alex, Ash, and the Mellark family.

All too soon, the babies start to get tired and little irritable. Ivy and Alex are the first to leave with their five month old triplets. Harper and Phoenix follow soon after with their one year and a few months old twin daughters. Lastly, only my dad and the Hemlock trio remain. Ash and my dad are in the kitchen, cleaning up even though I told them not to. This just leaves me and Lilac to watch our babies play together.

"I'm glad that Lucy will have you as a female role model." I tell Lilac, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between us. I see a smile form on Lilac's face from the corner of my eye.

"I wouldn't even consider not being here for her . . . and you." She replies.

"Still, it means a lot to me. I'll be honest; I had started thinking that things were going to be weird between us forever." I admit.

"So did I," Lilac replies. "But now it's not. And our babies are best friends."

"Yeah," I chuckle as I watch Ace and Lucy play together.

"I bet they end up together when they're teenagers," Lilac says.

"Let's not go there yet," I reply. When Lucy starts dating I might seriously have a coronary.

"She's going to grow up. They all are. There's nothing we can do about it." Lilac tells me, a hint of sadness in her voice. The comfortable silence once again falls between us and I can't help thinking that, if she has to date someone, I would be okay with Lucy dating Ace.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Good morning, baby girls," I say to my daughters as I scoop them out of their cribs. It is nine o'clock in the morning and it's just me and my daughters right now. Harper had a doctor's appointment this morning so I get the girls all to myself. I take my daughters downstairs and fix them each of them up with a small handful of cheerios each. Hailey and Hadley started eating solid food just about two months ago. They still drink some formula, but most of their diet consists of baby food and cheerios.

After Hailey and Hadley finish their breakfast, I get them dressed and somewhat bundled up before putting them in their stroller and going out for a walk. I love taking my girls out for a walk on Saturday mornings. They love being outside and seeing all the different sights and the exercise is really good for me.

There have been times when I've been on one of these walks and a few women hit on me. I guess the dad look is pretty attractive woman. I always try to tell the women about my wife before they can even try to ask me out. Harper knows about these incidents and finds them hilarious. She knows I would never cheat on her and she's always telling me how lucky she is that she caught me before any other woman could. She thinks she's the lucky one. Oh, how wrong she is with that idea!

After our nice, brisk morning walk, I spend some time playing with my girls. Hailey and Hadley really seem to love playing house so I always end up eating the food that they "made" me in one of their little play sets. I love spending time with my girls so much. I don't ever want them to grow up.

"It sounds like someone is having fun," Harper says as she comes over to where I am sitting on the floor with both of our daughters in my arms. I had just been tickling them and I hadn't heard Harper come into the house over the girls' high pitched giggles.

"We are most definitely having fun." I reply, leaning over to kiss my wife. "How was your appointment?" I ask.

"Umm, well, Phoenix we actually have to talk." Harper tells me, running her fingers through my hair.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I ask Harper, my blood running cold.

"We just need to talk," She repeats. "And I don't want to do it in front of the girls." She adds. I nod and pick up both girls. It's convenient that it is their nap time. I lay them both down in their cribs and kiss both of their foreheads, telling them I love them.

I hurry back downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I find Harper in the kitchen, leaning against one of the counters. Her eyes are lost in thought and my heart pounds even harder. I just hope whatever it is, it isn't too serious.

"Okay, we're alone now. What is it?" I ask Harper, standing in front of her and grasping her hands in mine.

"Umm, well, today at my doctor's appointment I got some news." Harper begins. "Life changing news," She continues.

"Babe, stop beating around the bush. Just tell me." I tell her, holding her hands tighter.

"Okay, Phoenix, I'm pregnant."

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**I was originally going to wait a bit longer for Harper to get pregnant again, but I needed something exciting to happen so I bumped it up to now. I hope that 's okay with you all. I'm thinking the next chapter will focus on the Abernathy Triplets a bit more. Hopefully that one will come sooner than it took me to get you this one. Next week is Thanksgiving and I have a half day Wednesday and the rest of the week off so I hope I'll be able to write more for you all. Thanks for reading (and waiting patiently for this) and please leave me a review. Thanks so much again! **


	56. Chapter 56

**Hey, Everybody! I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever. Junior year is still killing me, physics and advanced chemistry particularly. We have to write a semester paper in chemistry that's worth 20% of our grade and mine is going to end up super long. With first semester coming to a quick end, things are going to start getting pretty busy and rushed . . . Yay . . . (please note the sarcasm in my voice). I'm almost making my way pretty quickly through the Harry Potter books (only one and a half left!). Well, without further ado, here is the next chapter of _Things Don't Always Go As Planned. _**

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Chapter Fifty-Six

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Good morning," I whisper into my wife's ear as roll over to face her. I could tell she was awake as soon as I woke up. If she had been asleep, her head would have been lying on my chest. Now, Ivy is staring up at the ceiling of our bedroom, deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask her, running my fingers delicately traveling over the smooth skin of her stomach.

"They're already a year old," She whispers shaking her head lightly.

"Yeah, they are." I reply, snuggling closer to my wife.

"I can't believe it. It feels like we brought them home only yesterday," Ivy says, shifting so she is facing me as we both lie on our sides in our bed.

"I know," I agree, giving my wife a soft smile.

"We should get out of bed," Ivy says. "We have a party to get ready for." Ivy and I pry ourselves out of bed. I head to the kitchen to start breakfast while Ivy goes to get the triplets.

Ivy's right. It doesn't feel like it's been a year, not even close. I can't believe that this first year went by so fast. I can only imagine how fast the next seventeen years will go.

Ivy and I manage to feed Michael, Emma, and Silas breakfast without making too much of a mess before Ivy gives them their bath and I start cleaning up the house for the party. Once most of the house is pretty neat, I start putting up the decorations.

"Wow, you've certainly been productive." Ivy says as she walks into the living room, having put the triplets down for their morning nap. Ivy and I spend the rest of the morning getting everything ready for our children's first birthday party. When I last talked to my parents, they were both ecstatic to see their grandchildren again.

"Where are the birthday boys and girl?" My mom asks as soon as I answer the front door.

"Hello to you, too," I tease, hugging my mom.

"You know your mother is more concerned about the kids," My dad tells me, clapping me on the back.

"That is so true," I chuckle. By one o'clock, everyone has arrived for the party. Michael and Emma are both eating up all the attention while Silas stays securely in Ivy's arms. Silas is definitely the shy one of the three. Michael, I can already tell, will be the sports star and Emma will probably be just like her mother.

"Hi, birthday girl," I say as I kiss my one year old daughter, who is currently in her Grandmother Effie's arms.

"She is such a good girl, Alex." My mom says as she snuggles with Emma.

"She sure is," I reply with a smile. I move around the room, trying to give each of my three children equal affection.

"Do think we should do cake or presents first?" Ivy asks me as we take a moment together. Silas squirms and I take him into my arms.

"I think presents. That way we don't have to worry about their hands being sticky." I answer, adjusting Silas in my arms so his head is on my shoulder.

"Alright," Ivy replies, kissing my lips gently. We sit down on the couch with the triplets and Peeta hands us presents. Michael and Emma enjoy unwrapping their presents and playing with the wrapping paper, but Silas would rather just sit with his mommy.

The triplets get all kind of different things for their birthday. From my parents, Emma gets some new outfits, Michael gets a soccer ball, and Silas gets a stuffed frog. By the time all the presents are unwrapped, it looks like Ivy and I won't have to buy the triplets any clothes or toys for quite a while.

Next up is cake! This is sure to be quite an endeavor with three one year olds. Peeta made the cake when he and Katniss arrived earlier today so it is certainly superb. The triplets manage to make quite the mess as they stuff their hands into their pieces of cake, but some of the chocolate cake does actually make it into their mouths. Ivy and I can't help but laugh when Michael, Emma, and Silas smile up at us with their faces covered in chocolate.

Around four in the afternoon, the party starts winding down. Hailey, Hadley, Ace, and Lucy are all getting kind of cranky, as well as Michael, Emma, and Silas. It's clear that procrastinating their naps has taken somewhat of a toll on their moods. Phoenix and Harper decide to head home and Lilac and Ash and Liam soon follow suit. Soon, it's just the grandparents lingering around for a while.

"You were never this good of a sleeper," My dad tells Ivy as Silas sleeps soundly in his arms.

"Well, he's the best sleeper of the three. His siblings definitely give us enough wake up calls during the night." Ivy replies with a smile on her face.

After about another hour of family time, Ivy's parents and my parents head out to catch the late night train back to District 12. Emma and Silas are both fast asleep, but Michael seems determined to stay awake. He's usually the most stubborn about going to sleep or cooperating during bath time.

"C'mon buddy, you have to be tired. Today was a pretty exciting and tiring day." I say to Michael as I rock him in my arms. Ivy appears in the door way, having gone upstairs to put Emma and Silas down in their cribs.

"He's still giving you a hard time?" Ivy asks, sitting down next to me on the couch. I nod, still rocking my eldest son in my arms. Ivy motions for me to hand him over to her and I do, waiting to see if my wife can once again upstage me. Ivy brings Michael's tiny body close to hers and begins whispering so quietly to him that I can't make out anything she's saying. In less than ten minutes, Michael is asleep.

"I still have no idea how you can do that," I whisper, surveying my sleeping son. Ivy just shrugs and then we both head upstairs. Quietly, we lay Michael down in his crib. For a moment, we stand silently in the center of the room, surveying our three miracle babies.

"They're going to grow up pretty fast, aren't they?" Ivy asks me, leaning into my chest.

"Yeah," I reply, putting my arm around my wife.

"I wish I could give them younger siblings," Ivy sighs, her voice choking up as it usually does when she thinks about her inability to have more children. No matter how much I tell her it isn't her fault that we can't have any more babies, she still blames herself.

"We still could," I say.

"What do you mean? You know Dr. Styles said that it'll be next to impossible for us to have any more children. My C-section left me with even more scarring in my uterus." She tells me.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that Michael, Emma, and Silas can't have any siblings." I reply. Ivy still looks confused, so I continue. "We could still adopt." Ivy stares back at me, a mixture of feelings I can't read in her eyes. Finally, she speaks.

"What if I can't love an adopted baby the same?" Ivy asks me, fear clearly evident in her voice.

"Ivy, honey, I have no doubts that you would be able to love our adopted baby just as easily as you love our triplets. You're a natural mother." I tell her, wrapping her tightly in my arms.

"Do you really think we could be good adoptive parents?" Ivy continues her perpetual questioning.

"I know we will," I tell her, kissing her lips gently.

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**I hope that was satisfactory to you all. The ending is kind of a bit of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing what you ask . . . well, you'll have to find out next chapter. Yes, it will be happening that fast already, so get ready! Thanks so much for reading and I would love to read some reviews tonight! Thanks for sticking with me through this year! **


	57. Chapter 57

**Hey, Everyone! I am so sorry I haven't updated in a million years. Junior year is definitely taking it's toll on me. It's christmas break AND I'm sick . . . Well, here's this next chapter and I hope you like it. Thanks for sticking with me, everyone! Without further ado, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-Seven

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*One Month Later*_

"Dr. Abernathy," I hear one of the nurses from the ER say. "Dr. Abernathy, we have an ambulance en route with a four year old girl with multiple fractures and severe lacerations."

"What's the ETA?" I ask the nurse as I sit up and grab my stethoscope.

"Five minutes," She responds.

"I need you to prep trauma two, call radiology and get a portable x-ray machine down here, and get four units of o-neg." I instruct as I pull on my shoes.

"Yes, Dr. Abernathy." The nurse replies before scurrying off. I pull on my lab coat and head out the ambulance bay to wait for my patient. The sky is dark. It's barely fifteen minutes past midnight. I only have to wait a few minutes before the sirens of the ambulance become clear in the quiet night. I am ready to pounce into action the moment the ambulance is parked in front of the ER.

"Four year old female with fractures to her left clavicle, ulna, and metacarpals and lower ribs on the right side," the paramedic informs me as the girl is unloaded from the ambulance. "Severe laceration to the face and arms. She was unconscious when we picked her up, but woke up about three minutes ago. Breathing is fine. Possible internal bleeding," the paramedic finishes as we wheel the patient in the trauma room.

"Name?" I ask as we move the girl onto the hospital gurney and a nurse begins an IV.

"Alexis Weldon," the paramedic answers. "Her parents were following us. They should be here any minute."

"Thank you," I tell the paramedics and they leave the trauma room. "Alright, I want a full body x-ray while we wait for the CT to be open." I instruct the nurses and the medical student under me.

"Hi Alexis, I'm Dr. Abernathy and I'm going to make you feel better, okay?" I say to the little girl. She nods meekly and I give her what I hope is a reassuring smile.

"Dr. Abernathy, the patient's parents are in the waiting room." A nurse informs me and I head out to speak with them.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Weldon, I'm Dr. Abernathy and I'm treating your daughter." I tell the worried couple.

"How is she?" The woman asks as we shake hands.

"She's going to be okay. She was unconscious when the paramedics arrived and woke up shortly before arriving at the ER. Right now a radiologist is taking full body x-rays so we can see how many broken bones your daughter has and then we're going to do a CT scan to make sure her brain is alright and also to check for internal bleeding." I explain to Mr. and Mrs. Weldon.

"Thank you so much," Mrs. Weldon tells me.

"No problem, Mrs. Weldon. Do either of you know what happened to cause your daughter's injuries?" I ask the couple.

"I was out in the garage, but Kevin was inside with Alexis." Mrs. Weldon tells me, looking to her husband. Kevin Weldon remains silent for a moment before responding.

"She tripped over the cat and fell down the stairs." Mr. Weldon tells me gruffly.

"Alright, well, I'm going to check on your daughter and will be back with more information as soon as possible." I tell the Weldons before going back to the trauma room.

"Here are your x-rays, Dr. Abernathy." The radiologist tells me as he hands me a stack of films. "Alexis has been taken up to CT." He informs me and I thank him. In the trauma room, I study all the x-rays, searching for fractures. Ten minutes later, I have found six fractures: one to the left clavicle, one to the left ulna, one to the left radius, one to the third metacarpal, and two to the right lower ribs.

I continue studying the x-rays, not wanting to miss anything. I am intently studying the image of the left ulna and radius when I notice that the fracture is something called a spiral fracture. Spiral fractures are caused when a torque is applied to the axis of a bone. A fall wouldn't have caused this kind of fracture. I also notice old, remodeled fractures; at least half a dozen of them. And they are all at different stages of remodeling which tells me they didn't all happen at the same time, but have been happening over a period of time. The nurse bringing me Alexis' CT scans and bringing Alexis back into the trauma room snaps me back to reality.

"No brain injury, but there is some internal bleeding around the spleen," I say aloud. "Call surgery and tell them to prep an OR. She needs surgery soon. And get her four units of o-negative just to be safe." I tell the nurse. "And inform her parents."

Once the nurse has left the trauma room, I turn to Alexis. The young girl hasn't said much since she's been here. I have to talk to her. I know I have to talk to her. And I already know that this is going to be a very difficult conversation; maybe the most difficult conversation of my entire life.

"Hi Alexis, do you remember me?" I ask her as I roll a stool over to the gurney side. Alexis nods. "Well, I'm going to give you some more medicine for your pain and then you're going to have surgery to fix your broken bones." Again, she responds silently with a nod.

"Alexis, I need to ask you something." I tell her as I inject ten ccs of morphine into her IV. "Alexis, has your daddy ever gotten really mad at you for something you did or maybe even for something that wasn't your fault?" I ask her. Alexis nods again. My heart pounds inside my chest, dreading my next question and, even more, its answer.

"Alexis, has your daddy ever hit you?" I ask gently. She nods and I feel my heart drop into my stomach. "Alexis, did your daddy hit you tonight? Is that what happened?" I ask her. Alexis nod, tears starting to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

"Alright, sweetie," I say. Transport comes down to take Alexis up to surgery to fix her internal bleeding and broken bones.

I sit in the empty trauma room for a few minutes, hoping that this whole thing has been a very bad dream and that I'll wake up in the on-call room in the ER any minute. But, of course, part of me knows that this is real, that this really is happening. I sigh and put my head in my hands. I know what I have to do. I also know that what I have to do is going to be very, very difficult; possibly the most difficult thing I've ever done.

I force myself to get up and go out to the ER waiting room. In the waiting room, Alexis' parents are sitting together in a far corner. Mr. Weldon is holding a cup of coffee that is most likely from the hospital cafeteria. Mrs. Weldon is holding tissues in her hand while she sits with her husband's arm around her shoulders.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Weldon," I say as I approach them. "Alexis just went up for surgery for some internal bleeding and to fix her bone fractures. I can have a nurse take you up there if you like," I offer. They accept and I have one of the ER nurses take them up to the surgery waiting room.

"Thank you so much, doctor," Mrs. Weldon tells me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be up to see how you're doing in a little bit." I respond with a smile. I watch them enter into an elevator and my smile falls the instant the metal doors close behind them.

I walk over to the reception desk to speak to the desk clerk: "I need you to call social services."

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**Well, what do you all think? Good? Bad? Horrible? I hope it was alright. Next chapter should be up again tonight sometime unless I fall asleep at my computer. I'm going to try to update more often, but I can't make any promises. Finals are, like, five days after I go back to school so I'll be studying a lot. I hope this chapter was okay. Please let me know what you thought in a review. Thanks so much for reading!**


	58. Chapter 58

**Hey, Everyone! Here's a second chapter for you all! I hope it's all to your liking! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-Eight

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Now, you said the girl admitted to being abused by her father?" Ms. Lewis, the social services worker that was sent to the hospital, asks me, a pen poised to write in a small notebook.

"Yes," I reply. "I decided to ask her after noticing old fractures and noticing that the fracture to Alexis' wrist was a spiral fracture, which would not have been caused by falling down the stairs."

"And the falling down the stairs was the explanation the father gave you?" Ms. Lewis asks and I nod. "Well, now I suppose I'll have to talk to the parents and then speak with Alexis."

"She'll be in surgery for a while yet and then it'll take her some time to overcome the anesthesia." I tell her.

Together, Ms. Lewis and I head up to the surgery floor to speak with the Weldons. Already, I am dreading speaking with them about this. I don't feel like I am wrong, especially not since Alexis told me herself that her father had hit her tonight, but I still feel nervous. After all, I am basically breaking up a family here.

"Hello again, Mr. and Mrs. Weldon," I say as Ms. Lewis and I sit down across from where the Weldons are sitting in the waiting room outside the operating rooms.

"Who is this?" Mrs. Weldon asks me as she shakes Ms. Lewis' hand.

"This is Ms. Rita Lewis, from social services." I inform them.

"Social services? Why are they getting involved in this?" Mr. Weldon asks, clearly angry about social services being here.

"Mr. Weldon, I have reason to suspect that you have been abusing your daughter." I tell him, doing everything I possibly can to keep a straight, calm expression.

"What? What reasons? Why on earth would I abuse my daughter? She's my daughter! I would never!" Mr. Weldon explodes.

"Mr. Weldon, please stay calm." Ms. Lewis begins. Just as she begins delving into everything with the Weldons, one of the nurses on the surgery floor motions for me to come with her.

"She's out of surgery and is even starting to wake up," The nurse informs me. "I thought you might want to see her."

"Thank you," I say and then head into Alexis' post-operative room. Alexis is still mostly unconscious, with her dark brown hair resting on the pillow, but I can tell she'll be up soon so I pull up a chair to her bedside and sit down.

I don't know what's going to happen here, but I know what I'd be willing to do if I have to. I'd have to talk to Alex about it, but I'm sure he would be completely willing to take Alexis into our home if we have to. I'd hate to end up breaking up a family, but I can't allow this beautiful little girl to stay with someone who is going to hurt her.

"Dr. Abernathy," A small voice pulls me out of my internal rant. I look down and see Alexis, who has crystal blue eyes that shine with innocence, looking back at me.

"Hi, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" I ask her. She shrugs in response. "You'll feel better soon, I promise."

"Where are my mommy and daddy?" Alexis asks me.

"Your parents are in the waiting room talking to a nice lady." I reply. "Alexis, would you mind if I asked you a few more questions?" Alexis shrugs again and I take that as my go ahead.

"Alexis, has your daddy hit you before?" I ask her, reaching my hand out to gently hold hers.

"Yes," She replies timidly.

"Does he hit you a lot?" I ask her.

"Yes," Alexis replies. "He doesn't always do it so hard though. Most of the time, I only get bruises and stuff." Alexis' eyes start to water and I instantly feel my heart break. No child of any age should have to go through such a traumatizing experience.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again." I tell Alexis. She looks back at me with her adorable, blue eyes and, before I know what's happening, she launches herself into my arms. I hug her back, completely shocked by her affection.

"The nice lady I told you about, the one who is talking to your mom and dad, she's going to want to talk to you. You're going to have to tell her what you told me." I explain to Alexis and she just silently nods in response. A knock at the hospital room door interrupts us and I turn around to see Ms. Lewis.

"Dr. Abernathy, may I talk to Alexis for a few moments?" She asks, giving the little girl beside me a warm smile.

"Of course," I tell her. "I'm going to be right outside." I tell Alexis before I get up and go to wait right outside the hospital room.

The whole time I am waiting outside Alexis' room, I am worried about what Mr. and Mrs. Weldon said to Ms. Lewis and I am hoping that what Alexis tells her will be enough to at least take Alexis out of her abusive home.

"Dr. Abernathy," Ms. Lewis says and my eyes snap right to hers. "Based off of your statement and Alexis' statement, I believe I have enough to warrant Alexis' immediate removal from the home. An investigation will begin first thing tomorrow, but I'm not sure how long that will take. We'll have to find a foster home to place her in." Ms. Lewis tells me.

"My husband and I are registered foster parents." I say automatically without thinking about it.

"Would you be willing to take her in?" Ms. Lewis asks me, sounding quite surprised.

"I have to talk to my husband first, but I'm pretty sure he'd want to help." I tell Ms. Lewis.

"Well, why don't you go call him and I'll go talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weldon." Ms. Lewis says. As I head down the hallway to call Alex, I can't help but hope that Mr. Weldon doesn't get too angry or aggressive.

"Ivy? Is something wrong?" Alex asks the minute he answers the phone, panic clear in his voice.

"Well . . . there's nothing wrong with me, but I do need to talk to you." I tell him.

"Alright, what is it, honey?" Alex asks. And so, I tell him the entire story of everything that's happened, from the ER to my last conversation with Ms. Lewis.

"Well, what do you think?" I ask him, leaning against the hallway wall.

"I . . . I think we should do it. I mean, someone has to get her out of there. That's . . . I can't even believe that someone could hit their own kid." Alex replies.

"I know. I can't fathom it either. So, um, would you mind getting one of the guest bedrooms ready for Alexis and then we'll probably be home sometime tomorrow." I tell Alex.

"We'll be ready for you," Alex replies and I can't help but smile at my husband's willingness to help anyone who needs it.

I walk back down the hallway and reenter Alexis' hospital room. She's still awake, but it's obvious she's exhausted.

"Hey, did Ms. Lewis tell you that you're going to stay with me for a few days once you're out of here?" I ask Alexis.

"No," She replies.

"Well, you are. I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you again." I tell Alexis.

"Thank you," Alexis says, sitting up and giving me another tight hug.

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**I suppose it got a little boring at points, eh? Well, I hope it wasn't too bad. Didn't I tell you all a while ago that things were going to get interesting? Well, are they interesting yet? ;) Thanks for reading and please leave me a review on your way out!**


	59. Chapter 59

**Hey, Everybody! Finals are over! YAY! And do you all know what that means? More updates! This weekend is mostly devoted to updating this story! Plus, I have Monday off too for semester break! You guys should all be excited! I know I've been really bad at updating, but I'm really going to work on being better now. I think second semester is going to be good; I can feel it! Without further ado, read on!  
**

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Chapter Fifty-Nine

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Daddy loves you so much," I murmur against Harper's still flat stomach as we lie in bed together. She runs her fingers through my hair and I can practically hear the smile on her face when she speaks to me.

"I can't wait for our appointment this morning. We finally get to meet our baby." She says.

"I know. It's going to be amazing." I reply, kissing Harper's stomach once more before pulling myself up beside my wife and kissing her on the lips.

"We should get out of bed. Our appointment's at nine and we still have to get the girls ready and over to Lilac's before then." Harper tells me and I nod, giving her another quick peck on the lips and then getting out of bed.

Getting Hailey and Hadley ready to go somewhere when we're on a set schedule is always quite a feat in and of itself. I swear they know exactly when not to cooperate with us. This morning is no different. Breakfast wasn't too difficult, but once breakfast was over all hell broke loose. Hailey decided to spit up just when Harper had finished getting her dressed and then Hadley decided to pull on the dining room table cloth, bringing along with it three decorative crystal pieces. That was fun to clean up while my daughter wailed at the top of her lungs. Somehow, though, Harper and I managed to get the girls to Lilac's house and then make it to our appointment just in time.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark." Harper's OB/GYN, Dr. Martin, greets us as she enters the exam room. "How have you been feeling?" She asks Harper.

"The morning sickness hasn't been too bad at all, but I have been feeling kind of tired a lot." Harper replies. We were both overjoyed when Harper's morning sickness was practically nonexistent, but now I feel bad because she's tired most of the time.

"That can be normal," Dr. Martin replies, grabbing the gel they use for ultrasounds and squirting some onto Harper's exposed stomach. "Are we excited for this?" She asks us with a hint of humor in her voice.

"I think excited is an understatement," Harper replies with a chuckle. I know she's referring to me. Ever since Harper told me a month ago that she's pregnant, I have just been completely over the moon.

As Dr. Martin turns on the ultrasound machine and grabs the wand, I take Harper's hand into mine and squeeze. There's been a lot of excitement, but I also know that Harper has been a little apprehensive that something would be wrong with our baby. I just think it's her motherly instinct taking over.

As Dr. Martin moves the wand over Harper's stomach in an attempt to find a better shot at the baby, I kiss Harper's temple and tell her I love her. There is a flock of butterflies in my stomach and I know that she is just as excited. We are both watching the screen intently, waiting for our new baby to appear.

And then there it is; nothing more than a peanut-sized and shaped blurb on the screen. That blurb has a strong and steady fast-paced heart beat that fills the silence of the room. Harper clutches my hand tighter and I feel a few tear drops fall onto my hand; tears of happiness.

"Congratulations, you two. The baby looks perfectly healthy and its heart beat is definitely strong." Dr. Martin tells us. She gives us a minute a lone while she goes to print off the ultrasound picture for us.

"We made a baby," I whisper against Harper's brown hair, a smile falling across my lips.

"I still can't believe it," Harper whispers back to me.

"We're going to have to tell the family, you know." I tell my wife.

"That should be fun," Harper replies with a laugh. I smile back at her and rest my hand on her stomach, anticipating the day on which I will be able to properly meet my new daughter or son.

Ivy Abernathy's POV

My eyes flutter open and are met with the yellow sunlight of the early morning. I readjust myself in the armchair I am sitting in and look at my watch. It's barely six o'clock in the morning. I rub the back of my neck with my hand, trying to make the dull ache that has developed stop. It doesn't work.

I don't even bother trying to go back to sleep; I know that'll never happen. I sit in the chair and give myself a second to wake up. My eyes glance over to the hospital bed that Alexis Weldon, a four year old girl who has been abused by her parents for who knows how long, is sleeping soundly in. She looks so small in the big hospital bed and it breaks my heart to know that she's been through so much at such a young age.

This morning, an investigation is supposed to be done of Alexis' parents and their home. We already have a warrant to remove her from the home, but the police want to investigate to see whether or not Alexis will ever be going back to that home. I hope she doesn't.

I watch as Alexis eyelids begin to flutter. She'll be awake soon. I smile as I watch the little girl wake up. She's so innocent and cute. I can't understand how someone could abuse a little girl, especially their own daughter. Her eyes open and look panicky for a few seconds before her they fall on me. I see the recognition flow into her eyes and then she smiles at me.

"Good morning," I say.

"Good morning, Dr. Abernathy." Alexis replies.

"How are you feeling this morning?" I ask her. Alexis has six fractured bones that are a result of her father beating her. I just don't want her to be in anymore pain.

"It hurts a little," She tells me. I nod and brush some of her brown hair out of her face so I can see her beautiful blue eyes. She is such a pretty little girl.

"How long do I have to stay here?" She asks me.

"Well, you just had surgery, so you'll probably be here for most of today. So, you'll probably be discharged either tonight or tomorrow morning." I tell her. Alexis had needed surgery to fix her bone fractures and some internal bleeding that she had.

"I get to go home with you, right?" She asks me, her blue eyes wide with pleading.

"Yes, you do, sweetheart." I tell her. Alex and I had talked about it and, since we're registered foster parents, we decided that we would take Alexis in so that she doesn't have to go to some sort of government funded group home. I'd hate to see this wonderful little girl get lost in the system.

"Can you tell me about where you live?" Alexis asks. I can't help but smile as I answer.

"Of course," I say. She motions for me to sit on the bed with her and I do, wrapping my arm around the little girl as she snuggles into my side.

"Well, my husband, Alex, works as a research scientist at the university. He really loves to play soccer and read. We have three babies, triplets. The oldest is Michael and he loves all things that boys love. Emma, the only girl, well, Alex says she's a lot like me, but a little bit more girly. And then Silas, the youngest of the three, is really quiet and is a lot like his father. I think you'll like them all." I tell Alexis.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Alexis asks me, her eyes worrisome.

"I think they're going to love you," I tell her. At that, her face lights up like a Christmas tree.

"I can't wait to go home!" She exclaims, a big toothy grin on her face.

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**I don't know about you guys, but I enjoyed that ending immensely. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm thinking that Alexis will be going home with Ivy and meeting Alex in the next chapter, so get ready! Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for sticking with me! Please leave me a review!**


	60. Chapter 60

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter to grace your Saturday morning! I hope it's alright! Read on!**

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Chapter Sixty

Ivy Abernathy's POV

"Go fish," Alexis giggles as I work on losing yet another game of Go Fish. Alexis and I have been playing games for most of the morning. I wanted to give Alexis some time to just be a normal four year old girl.

"Do you have any twos?" She asks me. I sigh and hand her a card with a red two printed on the corner. Just as I am about to start my turn, there is a knock on the hospital room door.

"Dr. Abernathy, Ms. Lewis is here and she would like to talk to you for a minute." One of the nurses tells me.

"Could you stay with Alexis for me?" I ask the nurse.

"Of course," The nurse replies.

"I'll be right back," I tell Alexis, giving the top of her head a quick kiss. If Ms. Lewis is here, that means that the investigation must be pretty much over. I am apprehensive to see what they have found. I feel torn between wanting Alexis to be able to possibly go back to live with her mom and having her become a part of our family. I find that I have become attached to her already.

"Good morning, Dr. Abernathy." Ms. Lewis greets me as I walk up to her.

"Good morning, Ms. Lewis." I reply.

"I assume you can probably figure out why I am here." Ms. Lewis says.

"The investigation," I reply.

"Yes," Ms. Lewis says. "It is still going on, but I wanted to give you the important information that we have gathered so far. Now, Mrs. Weldon had said that she didn't see her daughter's 'fall' because she was out in the garage. Well, it would seem that while Mrs. Weldon was in the garage, she was injecting illegal drugs into her system." Ms. Lewis tells me.

"What?" I ask baffled.

"It would seem that the Weldons have quite the drug stock in their garage. Mr. Weldon has a history of drug use and trafficking. Mrs. Weldon's record is clean, but it won't be for long." Ms. Lewis tells me. My mind is absolutely reeling. Alexis has been living under the same roof as a couple of drug dealers?

"So what does this mean?" I ask Ms. Lewis.

"Well, Alexis has already been temporarily removed from the home so she's safe for now. The next step is to go to court and have a judge give the order to permanently remove Alexis from under her parents' care." Ms. Lewis says.

"So then she'd been a ward of the city?" I ask.

"Yes," Ms. Lewis replies.

"When can the adoption process begin?" The question comes out before I can even think about what I am asking. By the looks of it, Ms. Lewis is a little taken back with my question too.

"As soon as she becomes a ward of the city, I would assume." She replies. "Are you and your husband interested?" She asks.

"I'm not fully sure yet, but I think we would be. We'll have to discuss it." I tell Ms. Lewis.

"Well, I'll be the social worker working on the rest of Alexis' case, so if you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me." Ms. Lewis tells me. I thank her and we say our goodbyes.

I walk back to Alexis' hospital room with my mind reeling. I hadn't planned to bring adoption up. I'm not even sure if Alex would want to adopt her. I don't even know if Alexis would want us to adopt her. There are just so many variables. I know I can't say anything to Alexis; I would hate to get her hopes up and then have things not work out. That would crush her and probably me, too.

"Hey," I say as I walk back into Alexis' room. She and the nurse are in the middle of another round of Go Fish.

"I'm winning!" Alexis tells me excitedly.

"She is way too good at this game," The nurse tells me. "Oh, Dr. Banner wanted me to tell you that Alexis can be discharged whenever you two are ready to leave."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah," She replies. "He says she's doing great and that it would be better for her to go somewhere a little more comfortable and recover fully." Alexis wins the game of Go Fish and the nurse excuses herself. While Alexis cleans up the Go Fish cards, I call Alex on my cell phone. I tell him that he can come pick us up whenever and he tells me he fixed up a room for Alexis. We hang up with Alex promising to be there soon and to bring a change of clothes for Alexis.

I tell Alexis that we'll be going home soon and she gets extremely excited. It's obvious that she's happy to be out of her parents' house. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her to endure being beat by the people who were supposed to love her and protect her. Half an hour after the phone call, Alex is walking into the hospital room.

We take a minute to hug each other since it's been almost four days since we've seen each other last. I hadn't realized how much I missed Alex until he wrapped his arms around me. I all of a sudden get the urge to just collapse into his arms and never release him. But there are things that have to be done.

"Alexis, this is my husband, Alex Abernathy." I introduce Alexis to Alex. "Alex, this is Alexis."

"Hi Alexis," Alex says, kneeling down so he is at eye level with Alexis. She smiles at him, but doesn't say anything. She must be nervous.

"I brought you these," Alex says, handing Alexis a plastic bag. Inside the bag there is a purple t-shirt and some shorts. Alexis needed new clothes to wear out of the hospital since the clothes she had been wearing when she arrived here were covered in blood.

"Thank you," She replies quietly and Alex smiles at her.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" He asks and she nods eagerly.

"Well, then let's go home," Alex says. I pick Alexis up and she clings to me tightly while I sign discharge papers and then while we make the trek out to Alex's SUV that sits in the parking lot. I buckle Alexis up in the back seat and then slip in beside her so she doesn't get frightened on the way to our house. Alex and I make eye contact via the rear view mirror and the smile I see on his face makes my heart melt.

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**I'm not completely happy with this chapter because I thought it would be better than it is and it's not. Oh well. The next chapter will definitely have more Alex and Alexis interaction in it. And a little fluff between Ivy and Alex I think is over due. Thanks for reading. Please leave me a review! Thanks!**


	61. Chapter 61

**Hey, Everybody! I am so (X 100 trillion) sorry I haven't updated in literally forever. Junior year has been dominating my life, plus I started reading an amazing series I couldn't tear myself away from. I took a break from my advanced chemistry homework to write this chapter because I know it's been so long. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for sticking with me! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Sixty-One

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"This is Michael," I say, introducing Alexis to my eldest son. Alexis is sitting next to Ivy, snuggled tightly into her side. I am sitting in the chair a few feet away. Ivy and I thought it would be good for me to keep my distance for a little while, just until Alexis feels safe with me around. We've been home for about twenty minutes and decided that introducing Alexis to the triplets should be the first thing we do.

"This is Emma," Ivy says, adjusting the baby girl in her arms so she is facing Alexis. Emma smiles at Alexis and Alexis nervously smiles back at Emma

"And this is Silas," I finish off, running my fingers gently though Silas' reddish-brown hair. Alexis studies the three babies. I hope that they all get along. I also hope that Ivy and I will be able to distribute our time between the four of them evenly. I would hate for Alexis to feel neglected at all while she's here.

"Do you want to go see your room?" Ivy asks Alexis and she nods cautiously. What Ivy doesn't know is that I called Lilac to watch the triplets and, while she was here, she also turned our spare room into a room for Alexis. All six of us head upstairs to the room together.

When we go into the spare room, Ivy actually gasps. The room has been filled with anything a four year old girl could want. The bedspread is purple and the bed is covered in stuffed animals. There's a toy chest that I know is full to the brim of anything Lilac thought a little girl should have to play with.

"Did you do this?" Ivy turns to ask me.

"I asked Lilac to do it while she was here watching the triplets." I admit. Ivy hugs me tightly, which is hard when I'm holding two babies and she's holding a third.

"You are the best father ever," She whispers into my ear. I smile and kiss her temple. We turn our attention back to Alexis, who is standing in the middle of the room, obviously not sure what to do.

"What do you think about it?" Ivy asks her, putting Emma down on the ground so she can crawl around. I do the same with the boys.

"This is all mine?" Alexis asks with wonder in her voice.

"It is," I tell her and her eyes just grow wider in awe. The six of us spend the rest of the afternoon playing in Alexis' room. Lilac did a great job because Alexis absolutely loves every toy in the whole room. The toy chest ended up having some Barbie dolls and other dolls inside of it. But Alexis' favorite thing is the plastic tea party set. I can already tell that I'll be forced to play a lot of tea party while we have Alexis.

I am really glad to see that Michael, Emma, and Silas are all getting along very well with Alexis. I'm sure Emma is glad to have another girl around, even if she is too young to realize it. Michael isn't very interested in playing with any of Alexis' "girly" toys, but Silas doesn't mind. He even sits through a round of tea party, acting like the perfect gentleman should when they go out for tea.

"She's happy," Ivy says, scooting next to me where I sit against the wall.

"She really does," I reply, watching the kids play.

"Can we talk about something?" Ivy asks as we readjust ourselves so that her back is pressed against my front half of my body.

"Of course," I reply, interlocking our fingers together.

"I was wondering if . . . well, I was wondering what you thought about adopting Alexis," Ivy says, her grey eyes meeting mine.

"I think that would be . . . phenomenal," I reply. "It's obvious she already loves it here and I'd hate for her to have to go live with strangers."

"That's exactly how I feel," Ivy tells me.

"Alright, then the next step is the ask Alexis is she wants to stay with us." I say.

"Do you think dinner would be a good time to do that?" Ivy asks.

"I think that'd be the perfect time to do it." I tell her, kissing the top of her head.

A few hours later, the triplets are all fast asleep upstairs in their cribs and Ivy is in the kitchen cooking, with Alexis close to her side. I don't think Alexis has left Ivy's side for five minutes since we've been home. I'm glad she feels safe around Ivy. It's important for kids to feel safe with the adults around them.

"What are we having for dinner?" I ask the girls as I walk into the kitchen.

"Chicken nuggets, tater tots, and broccoli," Ivy answers.

"Why do we have to have broccoli?" I ask in a whiny voice, deciding to try and entertain Alexis.

"Because it's good for you," Ivy replies in a stern "mom" voice, playing along with my act.

"Why don't we put it to a vote?" I ask. "All opposed, raise your hand." I continue, not waiting for Ivy to respond. I raise my hand and look at Alexis expectantly.

"All in favor," Ivy says. Both Ivy and Alexis raise their hands.

"I can't believe it was out voted!" I exclaim overdramatically, which causes Alexis to giggle.

Once all the food is done cooking and the table is set, we all sit down together at the dining room table. We sit in silence for a while. Alexis is slowly eating her food and Ivy and I are trying to come up with how to ask Alexis is she would like to stay with us.

"Alexis," Ivy says, breaking the silence. "Alex and I were wondering how you like it here. I know it hasn't been very long, but what do you think so far?" Ivy asks.

"It's nice. The babies are fun to play with and Silas even played tea party with me. You and Alex are a lot nicer than my mommy and daddy were. You haven't yelled at me at all." Alexis says. "I really like it here."

"I'm glad you like it here, Alexis. What do you think of the idea of staying with us permanently?" Ivy asks cautiously. I know Ivy is worried about overwhelming Alexis with too much at once.

"Like forever?" Alexis asks, eyes becoming hopeful.

"Yes, forever," Ivy replies.

"I'd love to. Can I? Please?" Alexis asks, looking like she's getting ready to beg.

"Of course you can, sweetheart." I tell her, a smile crossing my face. Alexis jumps down from her chair and then hugs Ivy. They embrace for a few seconds before Alexis breaks off and then jumps into my arms. I hug her tightly and smile over at Ivy, who has happy tears in her eyes. Against all odds, we got to add to our beautiful family.

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**Well, Alexis is almost an official member of the Abernathy Clan! Aren't you all excited?! The next chapter, which you will probably get today because I don't feel like doing my chem homework, will involve Alexis officially meeting most of the family and then Phoenix making a big announcement. Thanks a million for sticking with me. I know it's just been ridiculous of me not to update. I'm totally sorry for that. Please leave me a review! And, if there's anything specific you'd like to see, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I promise!  
**


	62. Chapter 62

**Hey Everybody! Here's another chapter for you! I hope you like it! Read on! **

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Chapter Sixty-Two

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

"I can't believe you've only had her for a couple of weeks. She seems so comfortable here already," Harper tells Ivy while we stand in the living room, watching Alexis play with the Abernathy triplets, our twins, and Ace. Alexis seems to really have warmed up to Michael, Emma, and Silas. It's like she already sees herself as their big sister.

"When do you have to actually sign the adoption papers?" I ask, leaning against the wall.

"Once the courts deem Alexis a ward of the city," Ivy replies. "Then we can sign the papers and Alexis will be ours." The smile on Ivy's face makes me feel very happy for my twin sister. I know that the infertility has been hard on her, especially since she's always wanted a lot of kids.

"That's great. I'm so happy for you guys," Harper says, hugging Ivy.

"I'm just glad that no one is ever going to be able to hurt her anymore," Ivy replies, watching Alexis play with the babies.

The kids play for a little while longer before lunch is ready. Alex, Lilac, and Ash packed sandwiches, snacks, and juice into a picnic basket so we could have a backyard picnic. Alex and Ivy's backyard was pretty big and the grass was soft and sun warmed. We laid down a few blankets and then all crowded around.

Alexis stayed close by Ivy's side the whole time, still pretty shy around us, especially Ash and I, which is completely understandable. It's sweet to see how great of a relationship Alexis already has with Ivy. I am also glad to see that Alexis is eating pretty well. I know that stressful times like these can sometimes lead to children not eating and not getting the nutrients they need, though I'm sure Ivy has already taken care of that sort of thing.

Once we're all done eating, the babies and Alexis just play around in the grass. Hailey and Hadley have been becoming more adventurous in the last few months so they manage to keep me pretty much on my toes. Things will certainly be interesting when our new baby comes.

Michael finds a soccer ball lying in the grass and Alex gets up to play with the kids. I know he can't wait until they're all big enough to learn how to play soccer. Alexis instantly becomes eager to play with ball and Alex teaches her how to kick the ball. Alexis tries, but the ball is too big for a girl her age and it barely moves. Alex starts showing Alexis and the babies all sorts of tricks with the ball like juggling it and head-butting it. Alexis giggles while she watches her new daddy and, when he's finished, she hugs his legs. Alex, slightly surprised, hugs Alexis back, picking her up off her feet.

"He is so good with her," Harper comments while we all watch him.

"He's so good with all of them," Lilac states.

"He's making us look bad," Ash tells me with a chuckle.

"You can say that again," I agree with a chuckle of my own.

Alex comes back over to us, sitting beside Ivy and giving her a kiss on the cheek. The kids are all still playing around with the soccer ball. Alexis is rolling it over to each of the babies in turn, who roll it back to her so the game can continue.

"Harper, I think now is a good time to tell them our news." I say, looking over to my wife.

"You think so?" She asks me.

"I do," I reply.

"Alright, why don't you tell them?" Harper suggests.

"Alright," I agree, grasping Harper's hand in mine as a smile graces my lips. "Well, a few weeks ago, Harper and I found out that . . . we're going to have another baby," I say, smiling at my beautiful wife. Everyone exclaims different things at the same time so it's hard to distinguish any of it, but it's all good. Hugs are exchanged, as are congratulations.

"Wow, another baby," Lilac says. "That's big!"

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to do it all plus working at the studio." Harper replies.

"We'll manage," I reassure her, squeezing her hand tightly.

"How are you guys managing?" Lilac asks Ivy and Alex. "Just one baby is a handful. Three babies plus a four year has got to be ridiculous."

"It keeps us busy, that's for sure, but it's a lot of fun. They're all such good kids, too. Alexis likes to play with the triplets, so I can actually get some house work done." Ivy replies. "I'm just concerned about when I go back to work. I wish we could find someone who would stay at home with them." Ivy tells Alex.

"We could start looking for a nanny. Until we find one, we'll just have to stagger our shifts." Alex says.

"You know, I think I know someone who would love to watch the kids. And I think they've wanted to move to the Capitol for a while now." I tell Ivy and Alex.

"Who are you talking about?" Ivy asks me.

"Mom and dad," I answer.

"They never said anything about wanting to move to me," Ivy replies.

"I just talked to mom last night and she brought it up. Gale, Haymitch, and Effie are thinking the same thing, too. The whole dang family is gonna be in one place again," I chuckle.

"Except for Finn," Lilac points out.

"He'll just have to come and visit all the time," Ivy says. "Mom and dad would be perfect to babysit the kids. Your parents could even watch them every now and then," Ivy tells Alex.

"That would be perfect. You'll have to talk to them about it soon." Alex replies.

"Guys, can you believe that we're all grown up? I mean, we're married and we've got kids and everything." Lilac says.

"It's crazy. I feel like we just graduated high school yesterday," I agree.

"Can you imagine how fast all our kids are going to grow up? It's all just going to blow right by," Alex says, turning to look back at the kids. We all turn our heads, too.

The kids are all playing around and giggling. Hailey and Emma are playing with some dolls together. Michael, Ace, and Hadley are still playing with the soccer ball. And Alexis is tickling Silas, who is giggling uncontrollably. I feel like Hailey and Hadley are already so much older than they really are. I can't believe they've only been in my life for a little over a year. It's unbelievable. I just hope they grow up too fast.

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**This is the part where you all go "Awwwwwwwwwwwww!". No? Okay. I hope you liked that chapter. I think the whole family, or most of the family, will be back together again soon. I need ideas for Finn, though. So, if you think of something, don't be afraid to tell me! Thanks for reading and sticking with me! Please leave me a review! Ideas are always welcome, too!  
**


	63. Chapter 63

**Hey, Everybody! Here's your last chapter for this weekend. I actually just completely finished my outline for this story. Don't worry. We have like thirty-seven chapters before this is finished and a lot is going to happen! Read on!**

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Chapter Sixty-Three

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*Four Weeks Later*_

"Michael and Emma usually only nap for a couple of hours but Silas will usually sleep for four hours if you let him. Make sure he doesn't sleep too much because then he'll never get back to sleep. Alexis will help you out a lot if you ask her to. She's a great girl. She naps for about an hour around two in the afternoon. She doesn't like grape jelly, so you have to make her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with strawberry jelly. Um . . . I think that's it." I tell my mom. Mom and dad, along with Effie and Haymitch, moved to the Capitol two weeks ago and today is my first day back to work.

"What?" I ask her when I see her just looking at me with a smile on her face.

"Nothing," She tells me. "We're going to be fine. You're father and I raised you and your siblings on our own and you all turned out pretty decent."

"I know. I'm just nervous about leaving Alexis all day. She's become very attached to me and I don't want her to be upset." I tell my mom.

"She's going to be fine. You're only a phone call away if we need something. Plus, she has the triplets to play with." Mom replies.

"I know, I know. And she totally loves you guys. She'll be fine. I'll be fine. I should go. Thank you again for watching them for us." I say.

"Don't worry about it. We love spending time with our grandchildren." Mom says. I nod a few times before going around and kissing and hugging each of my children. It takes me another ten minutes before I can drag myself out of the house.

I knew that going back to work for the first time after we got Alexis would be hard, but I didn't think it would be this hard. I thought that it would be easier than when I left the triplets for the first time, but it was worse. I just don't want Alexis to feel like Alex and I have abandoned her or anything. I love her so much and I would hate for her to feel anything shy of loved and safe.

Once I am at work though, all my worries instantly disappear. The ER is so busy that I don't have any time to sit and think about the kids much. I'm kind of grateful for that. If I wasn't busy, it would have been a lot harder to deal with missing the kids. Between all the sick kids, traumas, and the paperwork, I barely had time for lunch.

During my short lunch break, I called home just to make sure that everything was going alright. Michael, Emma, and Silas were all taking their naps and Alexis was playing with her toys. She came and talked to me for a few minutes and then I let her go back to her toys. After hanging up with my mom, I called Alex to check on him. He was in the middle of looking at some slides through a microscope so we didn't talk long.

"Your wrist should heal in about six weeks Mrs. Smith," I tell the older woman whom I am treating as I finish splinting her sprained wrist.

"Thank you so much, dear. I'm sure you have a family you want to get back to at this time of night." Mrs. Smith says.

"You're right about that," I reply with a smile.

"That's the smile of a woman thinking about her babies," Mrs. Smith says, smiling back at me.

"It is," I tell her, still smiling.

"How old are they?" She asks.

"Well, I have triplets who are all a little over a year old and then another daughter who is four." I reply.

"Four! That's a handful. My husband and I only had three. I didn't think we could handle any more than that." Mrs. Smith says.

"Four is certainly a handful, but I love them." I tell her.

"I'm sure you do," Mrs. Smith agrees. I finish Mrs. Smith's discharge paperwork and then watch as she and her husband leave the ER.

A few hours later, my shift is finally over. I grab my bag and head out to my car. It's dark out by now and I'm surprised at how tired I am after my first twelve hour shift in a very long time. Alex is already home by now but I think that my parents were staying over for dinner tonight. I drive the few minutes it takes me to get home and then practically rejoice when I walk through the door.

The minute I am through the door, Alexis is already in front of me. I give her a big hug and a million kisses before putting her down and greeting my three babies. I kiss Michael, who squirms away and goes back to playing with his trucks. Emma stands unsteadily on the couch and gives me a kiss before waddling back over to her father. Silas seems to have missed me the most because he doesn't want to be put down after I kiss his forehead.

"How was your day?" Alex asks me from his position on the couch, Emma sitting in his lap.

"Long," I tell him, bending over to kiss his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He replies. "I told you everyone was going to be fine today," Alex says.

"You did." I agree, sitting down next my husband. My feet practically sing praises after such a long day of being on my feet. "Where are my parents?" I ask.

"Your dad is cooking us dinner and I think your mom is doing a load of laundry." Alex tells me.

"Maybe we should just ask them to move in. I would love to never have to do laundry ever again." I say.

"I agree with that," Alex replies and we chuckle. I snuggle into his side and watch my oldest son play with his toys. Silas is still snuggled up to me so I kiss the top of his head.

Dinner is ready twenty minutes later and we all sit around the dining room table. It is really nice to have the entire family together for dinner. I have really missed having my parents around and I know that they've missed being around their grandchildren. I am really happy that they got to move here and be closer to us. I missed my dad's cooking, too.

"Thank you guys so much for watching the rug rats today. It means a lot to me." I tell my parents as they are getting ready to leave.

"It was no problem, honey. Are you working tomorrow?" My dad asks.

"No, I'm just doing four days a week. Do you want to watch them again on Wednesday?" I ask.

"We'd love to," Mom replies. If the kids weren't all in bed already, I'm sure my mom would be giving them a million kisses before she left. I hug both my parents before they leave and then head upstairs.

Upstairs, I find Alex reading in bed. I change into my pajamas and then slide into bed next to him, completely exhausted from my long day. I snuggled into his side and put my head on my shoulder, checking out what Alex is reading. Alex finishes the article he was reading and we kiss. After a few minutes, I'm too caught up in the kiss to remember that I was exhausted. We make love slowly and passionately before snuggling up together and turning the light off.

"I love you," I tell Alex.

"I love you, too, beautiful." Alex replies, kissing the top of my head.

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**Let's be honest, it's been a while since Ivy and Alex were intimate and I thought they could use it after everything that's been going on. Thanks for reading. I'm kind of sad that this is the last story, but I know that it has to end eventually. Next month will be my one year anniversary of joining fanfiction! It's been almost a year since this story started! Wow! Thanks for reading and sticking with me through it all, guys! Please leave me some reviews, too, if you don't mind!  
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	64. Chapter 64

**Hey, Everybody! I know it's been forever and maybe you're all sick of me never updating and have given up on this story. I'm sorry. I'm trying to make time to write, but I'm drowning in school stuff here. I just visited colleges over spring break and picked my number one. Fingers crossed I get in when I apply. I take my ACTs next saturday (oh joy) so fingers crossed I get the score I'm aiming for (between a 27 and a 31 is my goal). That's enough about me, you came here to read. Read on!**

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Chapter Sixty-Four

Ivy Abernathy's POV

_*Two Months Later*_

_Bring. Brrriiinng. Briiiiiing._ I groan into the pillow as I look at the clock. It's six o'clock on a Friday morning, and I'm not even supposed to work or be on call. The babies and Alexis are all still sound asleep, which is a gift from the heavens. Alex is asleep beside me, having taken the day off from work. Who would be calling me? I sigh as the phone continues to ring and pull myself out of bed. Everyone is going to be up now, so I know I won't be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

"Hello," I say groggily into the phone.

"Could I speak to Ivy Abernathy please?" A feminine voice asks on the other end.

"You're speaking with her," I reply, finally starting to actually wake up.

"Ah, Mrs. Abernathy, it's Ms. Lewis. I realize that it is very early in the morning but I have exciting news that couldn't wait." Ms. Lewis, the social worker that has been working on Alexis' case from day one, tells me.

"News," I repeat, "what news?"

"I just received confirmation from the judge on Alexis' case that we can finally make the adoption official." Ms. Lewis says.

"I thought it was going to take up to six months," I reply in confusion.

"It was supposed to, but the judge put in a lot of time on this case. He reviewed Alexis' parents' history of drug selling and usage as well as her father's history of abuse, and has decided that the sooner the adoption is made official, the better." Ms. Lewis informs me.

"That's amazing. When do you want us to come and sign the adoption papers?" I ask.

"You could come down as early as today if you like," Ms. Lewis says.

"Really? That'd be amazing. The courthouse opens at eight, right?" I ask Ms. Lewis.

"That's correct. Should I expect to find you and your family down here very soon?" Ms. Lewis asks.

"Definitely," I reply. "We'll be there as soon as possible."

After hanging up with Ms. Lewis, I race upstairs to wake Alex up. This phone call was definitely one I was glad came, even if it was at seven a.m. on my day off. Alex and I thought it was going to take so long for us to officially adopt Alexis. The fact that this day is here so soon is a miracle.

"Alex, honey, wake up," I say, lightly shaking my husband.

"What? What's going on?" Alex asks, rubbing his eyes and squinting sleepily at me.

"I just got the phone call of the year," I tell him.

"Who was it?" He asks.

"Ms. Lewis," I reply. "She called to inform us that we can go and sign Alexis' adoption papers today if we want to."

"Seriously?" He says, quickly sitting up in bed.

"Yes," I reply. "The courthouse opens at eight. If we get ready quick enough, we could be the first ones there." Alex hops out of bed and we both instantly start getting ready. Once we're ready, Alex goes to get the triplets ready enough to go out and I go to prepare Alexis.

"Alexis, sweetheart, I need you to wake up." I whisper softly while pushing some of Alexis' hair out of her face. Alexis' eyes blink open and I smile at her. "Good morning, kiddo." I say.

"Good morning," She replies quietly.

"I have something exciting to tell you," I say. Alexis watches me expectantly so I continue. "We're going to go down to the courthouse and officially become one big family." I tell her.

"Really?" She asks in disbelief.

"Really," I confirm. Her face lights up and she throws herself into my arms. I hug her tightly and kiss her cheek. I help her get dressed and we meet Alex and the triplets downstairs. It takes us about ten minutes to get everyone buckled in our SUV and then we are on our way to the courthouse.

We arrive at the courthouse at 8:34 a.m., and you could just feel the excitement in the car as we pulled into the parking lot. I notice that is a warm and sunny day as we all walk together into the courthouse.

"Excuse me; we're here to sign some adoption papers." Alex says to the woman sitting at the reception desk.

"Fourth floor," She tells us with a smile, "and congratulations." We thank her and then take the elevator up the fourth floor. I can feel how nervous and excited Alexis is as she stands beside me. She must be extremely happy and completely terrified at the same time. I can only hope that Alex and I do not fail her as parents.

On the fourth floor, we meet up with Ms. Lewis and she takes us to a room where a judge sits with papers in front of him. Alex and I sit down, him with Michael and Emma on his lap and me with Silas on my lap and Alexis close beside me. The judge explains the forms and Alex and I start signing our names over and over again. It takes about an hour and a half, but Alexis is finally ours at the end.

"Congratulations," Ms. Lewis says, shaking our hands and smiling brightly.

Once we're back in the SUV, Alex and I both call our parents to tell them the news. Effie, of course, wants to throw some sort of celebration and tells us to be at the park a few blocks from our house at noon. My mom says she will call my siblings and tell them so that Alex and I can get our four children ready for whatever Effie is throwing together for us.

We arrive at the park at noon sharp to find our entire family there with a picnic and a huge banner that says: _Congratulations Abernathy Family. _Hugs go all around and a lot of tears are shed. I think I even catch Haymitch tearing up a little.

"I'm so happy for you!" Lilac says, giving me the tightest hug I've ever experienced.

"Thanks," I reply with a huge smile on my face. "Harper, you look fantastic," I tell Harper, noticing her baby bump has started showing.

"Thank you, and congratulations. Alexis is so lucky to have you and Alex as parents." Harper replies and we hug.

We all sit down together on the giant blanket that Effie brought and a variety of sandwiches and snacks are passed around. Hadley, Hailey, Ace, Lucy, Michael, Emma, and Silas are all sitting in the middle of the circle created by all the adults. They're all enjoying the attention and the chance to play with each other. Alexis sits between Alex and me, enjoying her peanut butter sandwiches with strawberry jelly.

"I love you, kiddo," I tell her, leaning over to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you, too, mommy," Alexis says and I feel my heart swell inside my chest. Alexis is officially an Abernathy.

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**It's official! I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I thought it was something everyone has been waiting for, so here it is! Reviews?  
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**I have been considering writing a story that I would entitle _The Wizard Games _and it would be kind of a crossover between Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, character-wise and plot-wise. I haven't any prewriting on it but it's an idea that I had. Tell me what you think in your reviews! :D  
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